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BOY SCOUTS 

IN A SUBMARINE 

OR 

SEARCHING AN OCEAN 
FLOOR 


By 

- G. HARVEY RALPHSON 

Author of 

BOY SCOUTS IN AN AIRSHIP 
BOY SCOUTS IN MEXICO 
BOY SCOUTS IN THE NORTHWEST 
BOY SCOUTS ON MOTOR CYCLES 




Chicago 

M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY 



Copyright 1912. 

M. A. Donohue & Company. 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 


Electrotyped, Printed and Bound by 
M. A. Donohue & Co. 


©CI,A332091 


CONTENTS 


THAPTER PAGE 

I. Lost on an Ocean Floor ....... 7 

II. A Conflict of Authority IS 

III. “The Dandy Submarine” 23 

IV. A Wolf on the Trail 37 

V. Two Wolves in a Pen 48 

VI. Night on an Ocean Floor 58 

VII. The Secret of the Hold 70 

VIII. On Guard Under the Sea 81 

IX. “Jimmie's Foolish — Like a Fox” .... 91 

X. A Chase on the Ocean Floor 101 

XI. Jimmie Goes Out Hunting 112 

XII. Jack Makes a Discovery 123 

XIII. Jimmie Demands a Medal 135 

XIV. A Boy Scout with a “Punch” 146 

XV. A Desperate Prisoner 155 

XVI. A Bluff that Didn’t Work 167 

XVII. Bad for the Sea Creatures ...... 179 

XVIII. “Making a Good Job of it” 189 

XIX. On the Edge of Disaster 199 

XX. An Ending and a Beginning 208 










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C-t I * l> iT^Wk. 







Boy Scouts in a Submarine 

Or 

Searching an Ocean Floor 

By 

G. HARVEY RALPHSON 

CHAPTER I 

LOST ON AN OCEAN FLOOR 

The handsome clubroom of the Black Bear 
Patrol, Boy Scouts of America, in the City of 
New York, was ablaze with light, and as noisy 
as healthy, happy boys could well make it. 

^^Over in the Chinese Sea!^’ shouted Jimmie 
McGraw from a table which stood by an open 
window overlooking the brilliantly illuminated 
city. '^Do we go to the washee-washee land this 
time?” 

^^Only to the tub!” Jack Bosworth put in. 

'^What^s the answer?” asked Frank Shaw, sit- 
ting down on the edge of the table and rumpling 
Jimmie’s red hair with both hands. 

Jimmie broke away and, after bouncing a 
football off his tormentor’s bacl^, perched him- 
self on the back of a great easy chair. 

^^The answer?” Jack said, after peace had been 

7 


8 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


in a measure restored, thought everybody 
knew that the Chinks wash their clothes in the 
Gulf of Tong King and hang them out to dry on 
the mountains of Kwang Tung! Are we going 
there, Ned?^’ he added, turning to Ned Nestor, 
who sat by a nearby window, looking out over 
the city. ^‘Are we going to the gulf of Tong 
King?’^ 

Ned left his chair by the window and walked 
over to the table. 

hardly know,’’ he said, taking a roll of maps 
and drawings from his breast pocket and spread- 
ing them out on the table. “When Captain 
Moore arrives we shall know more about it.” 

“Who’s Captain Moore?” 

This from Jimmie, still sitting on the back of 
the chair, elbows on knees, chin on palms. 

“Is he going to be the big noise?” 

This from Jack Bosworth, who was reaching 
out with his foot in a vain effort to tip Jimmie’s 
chair and send him sprawling. 

“Is Captain Moore going with us?” 

This question was asked by Frank Shaw with 
a show of anxiety. When out on their trips the 
Boy Scouts did not relish having older men about 
to show authority. 

“One question at a time!” laughed Ned. “To 
answer the first query first. Captain Moore is 
the Secret Service officer who is to post us with 


LOST ON AN OCEAN FLOOR 


9 


regard to our mission to Chinese waters. Second 
he will, to use the slang adopted by Jack, be the 
^Big Noise’ as long as he is with us. Third, I 
don’t know whether he is going on the journey 
with us or not.” 

^^Here’s hopin’ he don’t!” cried Jimmie. 
“He’ll want us to sit in baby chairs at tables and 
object to our takin’ moonlight walks on the bot- 
tom of the sea! Is he covered all over with 
brass buttons, an’ does he strut like this?” 

Jimmie bounded to the floor and walked up 
and down the room with a mock military stride 
which set his companions into roars of laughter. 

“I have never seen him,” Ned replied. “He 
is coming here tonight, and you must judge for 
yourself what kind of a man he is.” 

“Here?” asked Frank. “Here to this club- 
room? The boys won’t do a thing to him if he 
puts on dog!” 

“Is he a submarine expert?” asked Frank. 

“Sure!” replied Jack. “He wouldn’t be sent 
here to post us if he wasn’t, would he?” 

“I don’t believe he knows any more about a 
submarine, right now, than Ned does,” Jimmie 
exclaimed. “Ned’s been taking walks on the 
bottom of the Bay every mornin’ for a week!” 

Jack and Frank turned to Ned with amaze- 
ment showing on their faces. 

“Have you, Ned?” they asked, in chorus. 


10 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^‘Have you been out training without letting us 
know about it?’^ 

^^You bet he has!^^ Jimmie grinned. “IVe 
been with him most of the time too. This Cap- 
tain Moore, whoever he is, hainT got nothin^ on 
Ned when it comes to makin^ the wheels go 
round under the water.” 

^^Oh, you!” laughed Jack, pointing a finger 
at Jimmie. ^^You can^t run a submarine, even 
if Ned can.” 

^^You wait an^ see!” retorted the boy, indig- 
nantly. “You wait until we get into the Chinese 
sea, then you^ll see what I know about boats 
that travel on ocean beds!” 

“Can he run a submarine, Ned?” asked Jack. 

“Well,” was the laughing reply, “he did pretty 
well on the last trip. If some one hadnT inter- 
fered with his steering I reckon he would have 
tipped the Statue of Liberty into the Atlantic!” 

Jimmie winked when the others roared at him 
and then looked reproachfully at Ned. 

“You promised not to tell about that!” he 
said, accusingly. 

At that moment a knock came on the door of 
the clubroom, which was on the top of the pa- 
latial residence of Jack Bosworth^s father^ and 
a moment later a tall, military-looking man with 
a white, stern face, thin straight lips and cold 
blue eyes was shown in. He paused j ust outside 


LOST ON AN OCEAN FLOOR 11 


the doorway, and the boy who did not catch the 
sneer on his chalky face as he looked supercil- 
iously over the group must have been very un- 
observant indeed. 

^^Gee! He don^t seem to like the looks of 
us!” Jimmie whispered to Frank Shaw, as Ned 
stepped forward to greet the newcomer. 

^^Looks like a false alarm!” Frank replied, in 
an aside. ^‘1 hope we don^t have to lug him 
along with us.” 

^^We won’t need any cold storage arrangement 
on the submarine if he does go!” Jimmie went 
on. ^That face of his would freeze hot steel.” 

Captain Moore of the United States Secret 
Service remained standing near the door until 
Ned reached his side. Then he lifted a single 
glass, inserted it in his eye-orbit and stood gaz- 
ing at the boy who had advanced to welcome 
him. 

Ned stepped back, coldly, and Jimmie nudged 
Jack delightedly when he saw the lad’s face 
harden into bare civility. 

^^Aw,” began the visitor, ^T’m looking for — 
ah! — Mr. Nestor!” 

^T’m Ned Nestor,” said the boy, shortly. 

^Tawncy!” 

Ned pointed toward the table where the other 
boys were sitting and moved away. 

^Tawncy!” repeated the visitor. 


12 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


* Ned made no reply. Instead, he marched to 
the table, drew a chair forward, and motioned 
Captain Moore to be seated. 

Before complying with this gracious invita- 
tion the Captain glanced around the apartment 
with the supercilious sneer he had shown on 
entering. The boys watched him with heavy 
frowns on their faces. 

^Tf weVe got to take this along in the subma- 
rine,^’ Jimmie whispered to Jack, hope the 
boat will drop down into a deep hole and stay 
there. Look at it!” 

^^Hush!” whispered the other. ^Tt has ears!” 

Those who have read the first and second 
volumes of this series will understand without 
being told here that it was a very fine clubroom 
upon which the frosty blue eyes of the Secret 
Service man looked. 

The walls were adorned with all manner of 
hunting and fishing paraphernalia, together with 
many trophies of the chase. Foils, gloves, ball 
bats, paddles and many other athletic aids were 
scattered about the large room. 

This clubroom, that of the Black Bear Patrol, 
as has been said, was the handsomest in New 
York, the members of the Patrol being sons of 
very wealthy men. The father of Frank Shaw 
was editor and owner of one of the important 
daily newspapers of the metropolis. Jack Bos- 


LOST ON AN OCEAN FLOOR 13 


worth father was a prominent corporation law- 
yer, while Harry Stevens, a lad with a historical 
hobby, was a prominent automobile manufac- 
turer. 

Ned Nestor, the boy just now trying to enter- 
tain the very formal Captain Moore, was a 
member of the Wolf Patrol, also of New York, 
as was also Jimmie McGraw, who had been a 
Bowery newsboy before joining fortunes with 
Ned. 

As is well known to most of our readers, Ned 
had, at one time and another, undertaken and 
successfully accomplished delicate and hazardous 
enterprises for the United States Government. 
Accompanied by Frank, Jack, Jimmie, Harry, 
and other members of the Boy Scout Patrols 
of the United States, he had visited Mexico, the 
Canal Zone, the Philippines, the Great North- 
west, had navigated the Columbia river in a 
motor boat, and had covered the continent of 
South America in an aeroplane. 

He was now about to enter upon, perhaps, the 
most important mission ever assigned to him by 
the Secret Service department. The story of 
the quest upon which he was about to enter will 
best be told in the conversation which now took 
place in the clubroom of the Black Bear Patrol 
on this evening of the 11th of September. 

Presently Captain Moore transferred his gaze 


14 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


from the apartment to the boys gathered about 
the table and grouped about the place. As a 
matter of course all conversation in the room 
had ceased on the arrival of the Captain. While 
the boys who were not fortunate enough to be 
planning on the trip in the submarine were too 
courteous to openly stare at their guest of the 
moment, it may well be believed that his every 
look and word was closely noted. 

Concluding his rather rude observations, Cap- 
tain Moore dropped his glass, shrugged his 
shoulders, which were heavily padded, and gave 
utterance to his feelings in the one word of com- 
ments which he had twice used before : 

^Tawncy!’^ 

Ned said not a word, but waited for the visitor 
to lead out in the talk. Captain Moore was in 
no haste to begin, but he finally broke the silence 
by asking: 

^^You are Ned Nestor?’^ 

Ned bowed stiffly. He did not like the man 
he was supposed to do business with, and did 
not try to conceal the fact. 

^The Ned Nestor who undertook the Secret 
Service work in the Canal Zone and South 
America?’’ 

Ned nodded again. 

^Tawncy!’’ 

^^You said that before!” broke in Jimmie^ who 


LOST ON AN OCEAN FLOOR 15 


was fuming under the idea that the Captain was 
not treating his chum with proper courtesy. 

The Captain brought his glass into use again 
and looked the boy over, much as he would have 
inspected a curio in a museum. Jimmie glared 
back, and the eyes of the two fenced for a mo- 
ment before a twinkle of humor appeared in 
those of the Captain. 

^^You are Jimmie, eh?’’ the latter demanded. 

Jimmie would have made some discourteous 
reply only for the tug Ned gave at his sleeve. 
As it was he only nodded. 

“Aw, I’ve heard of you!” the Captain said, 
then. “Quite remarkable — quite extraordi- 
nary!” 

“You came to deliver instructions regarding 
the submarine trip?” Ned asked, feeling revolt 
in the air of the room. 

Unless something was done, the boys, all 
resenting the manner of the Captain, would be 
beyond control, and then the Secret Service 
man would be likely to leave the place in anger. 

This, in turn, might endanger the adventure 
already planned and prepared for, for the chief 
of the department might see fit to adopt what- 
ever recommendations Captain Moore made in 
the matter. 

The visitor might have sensed the hostility, 
for he hastened to take from a pocket a sheaf 


16 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


of papers and place them on the table. The 
next moment the boys all saw that they had not 
gained a correct estimate of the Secret Service 
man. 

The instant he began talking of the matter 
which had brought him to the clubroom his man- 
ner changed. He was no longer the drawling, 
supercilious naval officer in resplendent uniform. 
He was a keen-brained mechanical expert, ques- 
tioning Ned regarding his knowledge of subma- 
rines. 

^^You are fairly well up in the matter,’^ the 
Captain said, going back to his old drawl, in a 
few moments. shall not object to your going 
on the Diver with me.” 

The boys all gasped. So their worst fears 
were coming true! The Captain was indeed 
going with them 1 He would be the commander, 
and Ned would be obliged to work under his 
orders if he went at all! 

Would Ned do this? Would he submit to 
the authority of another while practically re- 
sponsible for the results of the trip? Frank, 
Jack, and Jimmie saw their cherished plans go 
glimmering. 

Ned made no reply whatever. Instead he be- 
gan asking questions concerning the Diver as the 
submarine the Captain had in view was named, 
and also about the object of the expedition. 


LOST ON AN OCEAN FLOOR 17 


^^A short time ago/^ the Captain said, ^^the 
Cutaria, a fast mail boat, went down in the Gulf 
of Tong King, carrying with her many passen- 
gers, the United States mails, and $10,000,000 
in gold consigned to the Chinese Government. 
We are to search the ocean floor ^or the gold, and 
also for information sought by the Department 
of State. 

^^Who got careless and dropped $10,000,000 on 
an ocean floor?” asked Jimmie. 


18 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


CHAPTER II 

A CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY 

The Captain gazed at Jimmie for a moment 
without answering. Then he parted his thin 
lips and uttered the old, familiar word : 

“Fawncy!^^ 

^The Cutaria went down as the result of a 
collision?^’ Ned hastened to ask, observing that 
Jimmie was growing flushed and angry. 

^^Yes,’’ was the reply, ^^and it is asserted in the 
diplomatic circles of foreign governments that 
she was rammed by the orders of a power alleged 
to be friendly to our Government, and that our 
department of state does not dare remonstrate 
and ask for reparation for the reason that an 
investigation would reveal the fact that the $10,- 
000,000 in gold which was lost was not really, 
as alleged, on its way from the sub-treasury in 
New York to the treasurer of the Chinese 
Empire.” 

^^But why should Uncle Sam be sending money 
over there?” asked Ned. 

^Tt is asserted that the money was sent at 
the command of men high in influence in Wash- 


A CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY 19 


ington who understood that it was to be seized 
while in transit, after reaching Chinese soil, and 
used to assist the radical fomentation now going 
on in China/’ 

^^An indirect way, a sly and underhand way, 
of assisting the revolutionary party in China to 
get control of the government, eh?” asked Ned. 

^^Aw, that is what is claimed,” was the reply. 

'^And you are to have charge of the expedi- 
tion?” asked Ned, quietly, his eyes fixed keenly 
on the face of the visitor. 

^^Orders,” was the slow reply. 

^'And the Diver has been chosen as the boat?” 

‘^At my request, yes.” 

^^But,” Ned then said, by way of protest, 
have made all my trial trips in the Sea Lion.” 

You will soon learn to help handle the Diver,” 
was the lofty reply. 

^The Diver is no more like the Sea Lion than 
she is like the Ark,” was Ned’s reply. ^Tt will 
take me another fortnight to learn to run her, 
I’m afraid.” 

You can take lessons from my son on the way 
over,” was the unsatisfactory reply. 

^Why, the submarine is not going to sail 
across the Pacific,” said the boy. ^^As I under- 
stand it, we are to take passage in a mail steamer 
at San Francisco and find the submarine in some 
harbor of the island of Hainan, after she arrives 


20 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


on the other side in a man-of-war which will be 
detailed to carry her over/^ 

“I have changed all that/’ said the Captain. 

Ned said no more on that phase of the matter 
at that time, but the boys knew that he had not 
given up his original intention of making the 
explorations in the Sea Lion, the submarine 
which the Secret Service chief at New York had 
placed at his disposal soon after his return from 
South America. 

^^You will be permitted to take one of your — 
ah. Boy Scouts with you,” the Captain went on. 
^^Baby bunch, the Boy Scouts, what?” he added, 
lifting his glass and surveying the boys grouped 
about in a manner which brought the hot blood 
to their cheeks. 

“I’m afraid you have never investigated the 
Boy—” 

Ned’s conciliatory remark was cut short by 
Jimmie. 

“Will the Boy Scout who goes with him be 
allowed to breathe?” the boy asked. 

Captain Moore eyed the lad critically through 
his glass. 

“You needn’t concern yourself about that, 
bub,” he said, after an exasperating silence, 
“for you won’t be the one to go, don’t you know 
— ^not the Boy Scout to go.” 

Jimmie was about to make some angry reply. 


A CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY 21 


but Frank seized him by the arm and marched 
him to a distant part of the large room. 

^^You^ll queer the whole thing!^^ Frank said. 

Jimmie shook himself free of the detaining 
hand and faced the Captain with flashing eyes. 

^‘1 don^t care if I do!^^ he said. ^That thing 
is not going to make ugly remarks about the Boy 
Scouts without bein’ called for it. He’s an old 
false alarm, anyway. I’ll bet he never heard a 
real gun go off!” 

Captain Moore heard the insulting words and 
arose. 

^Tf you’ll, aw, come to my office tomorrow 
morning,” he said, to Ned, “we’ll discuss the, 
aw, mattah. I cawn’t remain here and quarrel 
with boys who ought to be, aw, spanked and put, 
aw, to bed as soon as the sun goes down.” 

Ned did not rise from his chair to escort the 
Captain to the door. His face was pale and 
there was a dangerous light in his eyes. 

“It won’t be necessary for me to visit you in 
the morning,” he said. 

The Captain fixed his glass. 

“Fawncy!” he exclaimed. 

“Anything you like!” Ned said. 

“Fawncy!” repeated the Captain. 

“As you please,” Ned smiled. “Fawncy any- 
thing you like — anything agreeable, you know.” 

“And why won’t you come to my office in the 


22 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


morning?^^ asked the Captain, with a tightening 
of his thin lips. 

“I have decided to withdraw from the enter- 
prise,’’ was the quiet reply. ^T’m out of it.” 

The boys gathered about Ned with cheers 
and words of encouragement. 

^^Go it, old boy!” cried one. 

^^Don’t let him bluff you!” cried another. 

^^Dad will buy you a submarine!” Frank Shaw 
put in. 

The Captain stood in the middle of the group, 
gazing in perplexity from face to face. 

“My word!” he said, presently. 

“What about it?” asked Jimmie, edging 
closer. 

“Not going?” continued the Captain; “why?” 

“I’ve changed my mind,” was the unsatis- 
factory reply. 

“But the submarine is waiting,” urged the 
Captain. 

“I shall never go to the bottom in the Diver,” 
Ned replied. 

“My word!” 

The Captain loitered, as if anxious to reopen 
the whole matter,, but Ned turned his back and 
seemed inclined to consider the case closed. 

“And so we’re not going?” asked Frank. 

“Rotten shame!” declared Jack. 


A CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY 23 


fades me happy, happy dream chanted 
Jimmie. 

The Captain stuck his glass in his eye and 
moved toward the door, an expression of satis- 
faction on his stern face. 

No one opened the door for him, and when he 
opened it for himself, he found a slender, middle- 
aged man with a pleasant face and brilliant eyes 
confronting him. His supercilious manner van- 
ished instantly, and the military cap he had 
already donned came off with a jerk. 

“Admiral!^’ he exclaimed. 

The boys gathered about the doorway, all 
excitement. A real, live admiral in the Boy 
Scout clubroom! That was almost too much 
to expect. 

The admiral saluted and stepped inside the 
room. 

^Tardon me,^^ he said, addressing Ned rather 
than the Captain, ^'but I must confess that I 
have been doing a discourteous thing. I have 
been listening at your door.” 

sincerely hope you heard all that was 
said,” the Captain ventured. have been 
shamefully insulted here.” 

^^Did you hear all that was said?” asked 
Nestor. 

The Admiral bowed. 


24 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


think so/^ he said. 

glad of that/^ Frank said, ^Tor this 
Captain does not tell the truth.’^ 

Captain Moore frowned in the direction of 
the speaker but said not a word. 

^When I reached the door,” the Admiral 
said, heard Captain Moore saying that the 
trip was to be made in the Diver, and that he 
was to have charge.” 

^That is the way I understand it,” Captain 
Moore hastened to say. 

^^And,” continued the Admiral, ^^he said, 
further, that only one Boy Scout would be per- 
mitted to accompany Mr. Nestor.” 

^That will be quite enough, judging from the 
samples we see here,” the Captain observed, 
with a vicious glance toward Jimmie, whose 
face was now set in a broad grin. 

Those are the statements made by Captain 
Moore,” Ned said. refused to accept them.” 

^^Quite right!” said the Admiral. 

Captain Moore stuck his glass in his eye 
again and, saluting, turned toward the door. 

^ Wait I” commanded the Admiral. 

The angry Captain turned back, a scowl on 
his face. 

“Mr. Nestor,” the Admiral continued, “goes 
in charge of the expedition, and in the Sea Lion, 
the submarine he has been experimenting with. 


A CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY 


25 


He will be permitted to take three of his com- 
panions with him. Any officer who goes in the 
Sea Lion will necessarily remain under Mr. 
Nestor’s orders.” 

'Then I ask for a transfer,” scowled the 
Captain. 

"Granted,” answered the Admiral. "You 
may go now.” 

Captain Moore lost no time getting out of 
the door, and then the Admiral seated himself 
and motioned Ned to do likewise. The boys 
gathered about, but Ned asked them to proceed 
with their sports, and only the ex-newsboy re- 
mained at the table. 

"I’m sorry to say,” the Admiral began, "that 
there are hints of the most despicable disloyalty 
and treachery in this matter. I don’t like to 
cast suspicions on Captain Moore, who really 
is an expert submarine officer, but it appears 
to me that he went beyond his authority in 
changing the plans for the cruise.” 

"He had no authority for changing from the 
Sea Lion to the Diver?” asked Ned. 

"Not the slightest.” 

"Or for changing from a steamer ride to 
China to a long journey on the submarine?” 

"Not at all.” 

"But he was sent here by the Secret Service 
department to instruct me,” Ned said. 


26 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^ ^Exactly, and that is all he was expected to 
do in the case. I don’t understand his conduct.^^ 

Jimmie, who had been looking over an after- 
noon newspaper which lay on the table, now 
broke into the conversation. 

^^Just look here,” he said. ^This tells why 
Captain Moore butted into the game wrong. 
Just read that.” 

The Admiral took the newspaper into his 
hand and read, aloud : 

“The Diver, the famous submarine boat in- 
vented by Arthur Moore, the talented son of 
Captain Henry Moore, of the United States 
navy, is soon to be put in commission for a most 
extraordinary voyage. Under the command of 
Captain Moore, who will be accompanied by 
the inventor, his son, the Diver will make the 
trip from San Francisco to China, almost en- 
tirely under water. It is understood that the 
submarine goes on secret service for the Govern- 
ment.” 

“There you are!” cried Jimmie. 

“I rather think that does explain a lot,” 
laughed Ned. 

“The Diver,” said the Admiral, thought- 
fully, “has not yet been accepted by the Govern- 
ment, and I see trouble ahead for the Sea 
Lion.” 


“THE DANDY SUBMARINE’^ 


27 


CHAPTER III 
'‘the dandy submarine 

The Sea Lion was a United States submarine, 
yet she was not constructed along the usual 
naval lines. It was said of her that she looked 
more like a pleasure yacht built for under-sur- 
face work than anything else. 

It is not the purpose of the writer to enter 
into a minute description of the craft. She 
was provided with a gasoline engine and an 
electric motor. She was not very roomy, but 
her appointments were very handsome and 
costly. 

There were machines for manufacturing pure 
air, as is common with all submarines of her 
class, and the apparatus for the production of 
electricity was modern and efficient. Every 
compartment could be closed against every other 
chamber in case of damage to the shell. 

The pumps designed to expel the water taken 
into the hold for the purpose of bringing the 
craft to the bottom were powerful, so that she 
seemed to sink and rise as easily as does a bird 


28 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


on the wing. At top speed she would make 
about twenty miles an hour. 

On a trial trip taken by Ned on the day before 
the visit of Captain Moore to the Black Bear 
clubroom, the double doors and closet which 
enabled one to leave or enter the boat while 
under water had been thoroughly tested and 
found to work perfectly. 

The diving suits— which had been manu- 
factured to fit Ned and Frank, Jack and Jimmie 
— were also found to be in perfect condition. 

On the whole, the Sea Lion and her appurte- 
nances were in as perfect condition as science 
and experience could make them on the day 
the four boys, accompanied by a naval officer, 
left the train at Oakland and proceeded to the 
navy yard up the bay. 

. By the middle of the afternoon the boys were 
on board, receiving their final instructions from 
Lieutenant Scott, who had arranged for the 
transportation of the Sea Lion from New York 
and attended to all other details connected with 
the trip. 

After a long talk regarding the perils to be 
encountered. Lieutenant Scott drew forth a map 
of peculiar appearance and laid it on the table 
in the chamber which was to serve as a general 
living room. 


“THE DANDY SUBMARINE” 


29 


have retained possession of this map until 
the last moment,” the officer said, '^because it 
is most important that no eyes but those of the 
occupants of the Sea Lion should rest upon it. 
It shows where the lost vessel went down, shows 
the drift there, the depths, and various other 
details of great moment. 

^The Cutaria, as you doubtless know, went 
down off the Taya Islands, a small group to the 
east of the large island of Hainan, which, in 
turn, is off the coast of China, being separated, 
if that is a good word to use in this connec- 
tion, from the eastern coast by the Gulf of Tong 
King. 

^Tmmediately following the sinking of the 
ship divers were sent down. They found the 
lost ship resting easily in about sixty feet of 
water. A few days later, however, when other 
divers went down, the wreck was not at the place 
described by the first operators. 

“There are drift currents there, but it is 
remarkable that so heavy a wreck should have 
been shifted so suddenly. There are no in- 
dications that the vessel has been buried in the 
sands of the bottom. Your duty is to search 
the ocean floor then and locate the wreck. Hav- 
ing done this you are to secure the treasure, if 
possible. In case you cannot do this, you are 


30 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


to steam to Hongkong and report what assist- 
ance you require. 

^‘And remember this: You are not to destroy 
or mislay any documents you may find in the 
gold room. You are not to reveal the purpose 
of your mission at any port you may touch on 
the way out, or at any port you may visit for 
the purpose of reporting progress. 

“If at any time you have reason to believe 
that another submarine is working or loitering' 
about in the vicinity of the wreck, you are to 
report the fact without delay and a man-of-war 
will be sent to you.” 

“And that means — ” 

Ned did not complete the sentence, for the 
officer hastened to explain the meaning of the 
warning. 

“The Diver,” he said, “is somew^here on this 
coast.” 

Ned gave a quick start of surprise. 

“I knew it!” shouted Jimmie. “I just knew 
we were in for somethin^ of the kind! There’ll 
be doin’s.” 

“I reckon we can take care of the Diver,” 
said Frank, “and Mr. Arthur Moore, son of 
Captain Henry Moore, with it.” 

“Don’t underestimate the Diver,” warned 
Lieutenant Scott. “She is a peach of a sub- 


‘THE DANDY SUBMARINE’’ 


31 


marine, and Mr. Arthur Moore knows how to 
operate her. She is almost the latest thing in 
submarines.’’ 

‘‘Why didn’t the Government buy her, then?” 
demanded Jack. 

“Principally because she was withdrawn from 
the market,” was the reply. 

“I begin to understand,” Ned said. 

“Then that son of Captain Moore is after 
the gold?” asked Jack. 

“That is what we suspect.” 

“Well,” Frank said, then, “it wouldn’t be 
any fun to go after the old wreck if all was clear 
sailing.” 

“Right you are!” cried Jimmie. 

“But how did they get the Diver here so 
quickly?” asked Ned. 

“The same way I got the Sea Lion here,” was 
the Lieutenant’s reply. “They engaged a special 
train, took the boat to pieces as far as practi- 
cable and sent her over.” 

“But she is something of a whale as compared 
with the little Sea Lion,” urged Ned. “It was 
easy enough to get our boat across the continent.” 

“Not quite so easy as you think,” laughed the 
officer. “Still,” he added, “here she is, all 
ready for the trip. There are plenty of pro- 
visions, and everything is in fine working order. 


32 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


You, Mr. Nestor, took a hand in taking the sub- 
marine to pieces, and you ought to know all 
about her.’’ 

“I think I do,” was the reply, ^^still, I should 
have liked the chance of putting her together 
again.” 

^Tt is all right as it is,” was the reply. /^You 
doubtless had a good time in New York while 
the work was being done here. When I left 
for the big city to ride over with you she was 
nearly ready, and now, on our arrival, she is, as 
you see, right and fit.” 

^^But I thought we were to cross the Pacific 
in a steamer and pick up the Sea Lion over 
there,” Ned observed. 

^^Right you are,” the Lieutenant answered, 
^^but the Sea Lion is to be taken over by the 
big steamer, too.” 

‘Then they’ve got to take her to pieces again,” 
wailed Jimmie, “and it will be weeks before we 
get started.” 

“Y"ou are wrong there,” the officer replied. 
“The Sea Lion will be picked up by something 
like a floating dock and towed over. How does 
that strike you?” 

“Out of water?” asked Frank. 

“Of course. Novel way of carrying a sub- 
marine, eh?” 

“I should say so.” 


“THE DANDY SUBMARINE’’ 


33 


“Over there/’ the Lieutenant went on, “there 
would be no facilities for assembling the parts. 
That is why the work was done here.” 

“Of course,” laughed Frank. 

“And this floating dry dock,” continued the 
officer, “will be roofed over and its contents kept 
secret. A short distance from the Taya Islands, 
she will be shucked of her shell and take to 
the water. No one will know what her mis- 
sion is.” 

“It seems to me that everything is pretty 
cleverly planned,” Ned remarked. “I hope all 
my plans will come together as nicely as the 
plans of the Government have.” 

“That will be a big tow for a steamer,” Jimmie 
suggested. 

“Yes, it is awkward, but there seemed to be 
no other way. The Diver will be far in the rear 
and you take water off the Taya Islands.” 

“And on the way over,” Ned said, “I can live 
in the Sea Lion and continue my studies of the 
machinery.” 

“That is the idea,” said the Lieutenant. 

“When are we to be picked up?” asked Jack. 

The Lieutenant lifted a hand for silence. 

From outside, seemingly from underneath 
the keel of the Sea Lion, came a grating sound, 
which was followed by a slight, though steady, 
lifting of the vessel. 


34 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^^Gee!” cried Jimmie, springing to his feet. 

guess we’re up against an earthquake!” 

The boys were all moving about now, but 
Lieutenant Scott remained in his chair, a smile 
on his face. 

The Sea Lion rose steadily, and there was a 
slight tip to port. Ned sat down with a shamed 
look on his face. 

“I should have known,” he said. 

^^Say,” Jack exclaimed, ^Vas the submarine 
put together on the float that is going to carry 
her across?” 

course she was,” laughed the Lieutenant. 
'The pieces brought on from New York were 
assembled on the float. Some of the larger 
pieces, the ones most difficult to handle, were 
made here from patterns sent on from the east. 
Then, when all was ready, the float was dropped 
out of sight so the submarine would lie on the 
surface, as we found her.” 

"And now they’re lifting the float?” asked 
Jimmie. 

"Exactly,” was the reply. "Suppose you go 
outside, on the conning tower, and look about.” 

"You bet,” cried Jack, and then there was a 
rush for the stairway, or half-ladder, rather, 
leading to the tower. 

The Sea Lion was still lifting, though where 
the power came from no one could determine. 


‘‘THE DANDY SUBMARINE’’ 


35 


While Ned studied over the problem Lieutenant 
Scott laid a hand on his shoulder. 

‘^You want to know what makes the wheels 
go round?” laughed the officer. “Well, I’ll tell 
you. The bottom of the float forms a tank. 
Now do you see?” 

“And there’s a large hose laid from the tank 
to the shore, and the water is being pumped 
out! I see.” 

“That’s it,” replied the Lieutenant. “Now 
that we are getting up high and dry, you boys 
can step down on the floor of the float and look 
about. I don’t think there was ever a contri- 
vance exactly like this. Go and look it over.” 

Night was falling, and a chill October wind 
was blowing in from the Pacific. There were 
banks of clouds, too, and all signs portended 
rain. It would be a dismal night. 

Leaving Lieutenant Scott in the conning 
tower, the boys all clambered down to the floor 
of the float to examine the blockings which kept 
the submarine on a level keel. They were gone 
only a short time, but when they climbed up the 
rope ladder to the conning tower again the light 
was dim, and a slow, cold rain was falling. 

The Lieutenant was not on the conning tower, 
and Ned at once descended to the general living 
room of the submarine. Before he reached the 
middle of the stairs the lights, which had been 


36 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


burning brightly a moment before, suddenly 
went out, and the interior of the submarine 
yawned under his feet like a deep, impenetrable 
pit. 

Fearful that something was amiss, Ned drop- 
ped down and reached for his electric search- 
light, which he had left on a shelf not far from 
the stairs. Something passed him in the dark- 
ness and he called out to the Lieutenant, but 
there was no answer. Then, out of the darkness 
above, came a mingled chorus of anger tod 
alarm. 


A WOLF ON THE TRAIL 


37 


CHAPTER IV 

A WOLF ON THE TRAIL 

^^That isnT Ned!’’ cried Jack’s voice, in a 
moment. 

'^Don’t let him get away! He’s been up to 
some mischief!” 

That was Frank Shaw’s voice. 

^^Soakhim!” 

That could be no one but Jimmie! 

Ned, groping about in the darkness, heard 
the voices faintly. He seemed to be submerged 
in a sweep of pounding waves, the steady beating 
of which shut out all individual sounds. 

He knew that he staggered and stumbled as 
he walked. Moving across the floor his feet 
came in contact with some soft obstruction lying 
on the rug and he fell down. 

There was a strange, choking odor in the place, 
and he groped on his hands and knees in the 
direction of the shelf where his searchlight had 
been left. His senses reeled, and for an instant 
he lay flat on the floor. 

Then he heard the boys clambering down the 
stairs from the conning tower and called out. 


38 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


feebly, yet with sufficient strength to make him- 
self heard above the sound of shuffling feet. 

“Go back!” he cried. “Don^t come in here! 
Leave the hatch open, and let in air. Go back!” 

Jimmie recognized a note of alarm, of suffer- 
ing, in the voice of his chum and dropped head- 
long into the black pit of the submarine. Ned 
heard him snap the catch of a searchlight, and 
then, dimly, heard his voice: 

“Gee!” the voice said. “What^s cornin’ off 
here?” 

The round face of the electric searchlight 
showed at the end of a cylindrical shaft of light 
which rested on Ned’s face, but the boy did not 
realize what was going on until he felt a gust 
of wind and a drizzle of rain on his forehead. 

Then he opened his eyes to find himself on the - 
conning tower of the submarine, with the boys 
gathered about him, anxiety showing in their 
speech and manner. It was too dark for him 
to see their faces. 

“You’re all right now,” Jimmie said. “What 
got you down there?” 

Then Ned remembered the sudden extinction 
of the lights as he moved down the stairs, the 
stifling, choking odor below, and the deadly 
grip of suffocation which had brought him to the 
floor. 

“Go back into the boat,” he said, gaining 


A WOLF ON THE TRAIL 


39 


strength every moment. am anxious about 
Lieutenant Scott.” 

^^WeVe just come from there,” Frank said. 
^^WeVe done all that can be done for him.” 

^^What do you mean by that?” demanded 
Ned, moving toward the hatch which sealed 
the submarine. 

^The poison which keeled you over got him!” 
Jack said. 

^^Do you mean that he’s dead?” asked Ned, 
a shiver running through his body as he spoke. 

^T’m afraid so,” was the reply. got 

you out just in time. . You would have perished 
in a moment more.” 

^^Dead!” said Ned. ^^Lieutenant Scott dead! 
And he was so gay and so full of life a few mo- 
ments ago!” 

Jack, who had left the little group a moment 
before, now returned. 

^^The poison seems to have evaporated from 
the interior,” he said, ^^so we may as well go 
below. I’ll go ahead and turn on the lights.” 

The body of the naval officer lay in a huddle 
at the foot of the stairs leading to the conning 
tower, just far enough to the rear so that the 
free passage was not obstructed. With all the 
lights turned on and every aperture which 
might transmit a ray to the world outside 
closed, the boys, after placing the body on a 


40 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


couch, began a close examination of the boat. 

There were no wounds X)n the body, so it 
seemed that he had died from suffocation. 
There was still a sickening odor in the boat, but 
the constant manufacture of fresh air was grad- 
ually doing away with this. 

The door to the room where the dynamos and 
the gasoline engine were situated was found 
wide open, and Ned instructed the boys to leave 
it so and leave everything untouched. 

^The first thing to do,^^ he said, ^^is to dis- 
cover any clues the assassin may have left here. 
It is an old theory that no person, however care- 
ful he or she may be, can enter and leave a 
room without leaving behind some evidence of 
his or her presence there. W ell soon know if this 
is true in this case.^’ 

^There was some one in here, all right,^^ 
Jimmie said. '^He passed us on the conning 
tower, skipping like to break the speed limit for 
the city. I tried to trip him as he passed me, 
an^ got this.’’ 

The lad turned a bruised face toward his 
companions. In the confusion no one had ob- 
served the cut on his cheek. 

^^You did get something!” Jack exclaimed. 
^Why didn’t you say something about it?” 

^^Nothin’ doin’!” answered the boy. ^^Only 
a scratch!” 


A WOLF ON THE TRAIL 


41 


Notwithstanding the boy^s claim that the 
wound was of small importance, Ned insisted 
on its being dressed at once. 

^^Now,’’ Ned said, after the cut had been 
properly cared for, ^Vhat sort of a man was it, 
that passed you boys on the conning tower? 
The circular platform is so small that he must 
have crowded you pretty closely when he stepped 
out.’’ 

^^He did,” Jimmie answered. thought it 
was you, and stepped aside to make room for 
him.” 

^^And then?” 

had a feeling that it wasn’t you. Then, 
he was makin’ for the wharf so fast that I thought 
it would do no harm to have a look at him, and 
so called out.” 

“Then’s when you got the slash across the 
cheek?” 

“Yes; he cut me then.” 

“What about the size of the fellow?” asked 
Ned. 

“Oh, I should think he was slender and light, 
the way he bounded off the platform and made 
for the wharf.” 

“Do you think he went there to kill Lieutenant 
Scott?” asked Jack, a moment later. 

“It is more probable that he came here to put 
the Sea Lion out of commission,” Frank replied. 


42 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


“ril bet we^ll find somethin^ all busted up!’^ 
Jimmie predicted. 

^^Ned can soon determine that/^ Jack re- 
marked. 

'^Yes/’ Ned went on, ^^but the first thing to 
do is to see if this murderer left any visiting 
cards here. After that, we must notify the 
Coroner and have the body removed.” 

Ned went into the dynamo room and looked 
about. 

^^Here is where any enemy would have to 
do his work,” he said, ^^so we must look for clues 
here. Keep your hands off the machinery, for 
he may have left finger marks somewhere.” 

Ned searched long and carefully without 
reward. Finally he turned to the waiting boys. 

“There’s quite a lot of waste lying around,” 
he said. “Secure every fiber of it and examine 
it under the microscope. You would better 
attend to that, Frank, as you are familiar with 
the instrument. If you discover anything for- 
eign to a place like this, let me know.” 

While Ned continued his search about the 
interior of the submarine, Frank busied himself 
inspecting the bits of waste the other boys 
brought to him. At last an exclamation of 
astonishment brought Ned to his side. 

“There’s something funny about this,” Frank 
said, as Ned bent over his shoulder. “That 


A WOLF ON THE TRAIL 


43 


stuff is not oil, and I^d like to know how it got 
in here/^ 

^ What does it look like?’^ asked Ned. 

“I can’t say,” was the hesitating reply. 

Ned took the microscope and looked at the 
object to which his attention had been called. 

“Rubber!” he said, in a moment. 

“Rubber!” repeated Frank. “How could 
rubber be in the waste in that shape?” 

“All the same,” Ned replied, “this is some 
rubber composition, and it has been wiped into 
the waste. Now, what could any person want 
with rubber here?” 

“It is used quite a lot around electric appa- 
ratus,” suggested Frank Shaw. 

“But not in this form,” Ned replied. 

Then, remembering certain smooth blurs on 
the polished machinery he had recently exam- 
ined, he took the microscope and made another 
examination of the spots. Presently he called 
Frank to his side. 

“Look through the glass,” he said, handing 
the instrument to Frank, “and tell me what you 
see.” 

“Rubber!” cried the boy, after a short exam- 
ination. “There are a few traces here of the 
same rubber composition I found on the waste. 
Can you tell me wLat it means?” 

“Quite simple,” Ned replied, as the boys 


44 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


gathered about him. ^The use of rubber com- 
position by men engaged in nefarious under- 
takings dates back to the time of the utilization 
of the whorls and lines of the human fingers as 
aids in the detection of crime/’ 

'T guess I know what you are going to say/’ 
cried Frank. 

^^When the thumb- and finger-print experts 
got busy with their photographs and their en- 
larged reproductions, the criminals began study- 
ing on methods to offset this dangerous aid to 
detective work.” 

‘T knew it,” cried Frank. 

^^And so,” Ned went on, “they conceived the 
idea of filling the lines on the fingers and hands 
and making them perfectly smooth. This is 
rubber paint,” he went on. “The man who was 
hidden in here when we came in did not care 
to leave any finger marks behind him.” 

“But he did leave smooth blurs on the ma- 
chines where his fingers touched them!” said 
Jack. 

“Certainly, and so pointed out the location 
of his efforts. Still, I do not think he meditated 
disabling the Sea Lion. It is more probable 
that he believed Lieutenant Scott to be the 
expert in charge of the boat and sought to kill 
or disable him.” 

“See where the chump wiped his hands on 
waste,” Jimmie cried. 


A WOLF ON THE TRAIL 


45 


Ned now made a still closer inspection of the 
room and was rewarded for his thoroughness by 
discovering a tiny pool of the rubber composi- 
tion on the floor, close to the giant iron frame 
of the big dynamo . Looking at the pool through 
his glass he discovered bits of wool mixed with 
it. He put up his glass with a smile. 

^^We ought to be able to And this fellow now,’’ 
he said, ^flf we get busy before he has time to 
change his clothes.” 

^^Got him, have you?” asked Jack. 

think I could pick him out of a thousand 
provided he is captured in the clothes he wore 
while here. His hand trembled while he was 
putting the rubber composition on his fingers 
and some of it dropped on his clothing and 
dripped off to the floor. 

^There are shreds of blue wool in this compo- 
sition on the floor — so you see he wore a blue 
woolen garment — probably a coat or pair of 
trousers. And, see here, the fellow lost all 
caution when he bounded out of the submarine, 
after extinguishing the lights, on my entrance. 

^^He had already wiped the rubber off his 
hands on the waste, and so his finger marks 
showed on the steel railing of the staircase. 
I’ll Just take a photo of them.” 

When this was accomplished, Ned and Jimmie 
drew the Sea Lion’s boat to the edge of the 
float and launched it. Then, leaving Frank 


46 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


and Jack in charge of the submarine, with in- 
structions to keep a close watch for suspicious 
characters, they turned the prow of the rowboat 
toward South Vallejo. The distance to the 
wharf was not great. In fact, the intruder 
seemed to have cleared it in a minute, either 
in a boat, which was improbable, or by swim- 
ming. 

The Sea Lion lay off the United States Navy 
Yard, on the west of Mare Island, in the straits 
of the same name. The nearest landing place 
on the mainland, therefore, was South Vallejo. 

It was after 8 o’clock when the boys reached 
the main street of the town and encountered 
a policeman in uniform. Ned at once asked 
for the office of the Coroner of Salano County. 

^^What’s doing?” asked the policeman. 

have business with him,” Ned replied, not 
caring to create a sensation by reciting there 
in the street the details of what had taken place. 

^^Well,” replied the policeman, ^fff you’re 
so mighty close-mouthed regarding your business 
with the Coroner, you may find him yourself.” 

^^All right,” Ned replied. ^T’ll go to police 
headquarters. Perhaps the night desk man 
won’t be so fresh.” 

^^Say,” growled the policeman, “you needn’t 
get gay. I know my duty. So, if you don’t 


A WOLF ON THE TRAIL 


47 


mind, I’ll take you to headquarters, saving you 
the trouble of asking for the place.” 

refuse to go with you,” Ned replied. 

^^Oh, well,” announced the other, ^T’ll take 
you along, just the same. I’m used to kids of 
your stamp. You’re both under arrest, so 
you’d better come along without making any 
trouble.” 

As he spoke the policeman seized both boys 
roughly. 


48 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


CHAPTER V 

TWO WOLVES IN A PEN 

“Take it quietly/’ Ned advised Jimmie, as 
the little fellow began struggling with the arm 
of the law. “We’ll come out on top in the end, 
I take it.” 

“I’d like to knock the head off this fool cop!” 
Jimmie cried. “What right has he to go an’ 
arrest us?” 

“If it will take any load off your mind,” the 
policeman replied, as the three waited on a 
corner for a patrol wagon, “I’ll tell you what 
right I had to arrest you. There’s a report at 
the office that a man who went into that sub- 
marine of yours never came out again.” 

“When was this report sent in?” asked Ned. 

“Just a few moments ago,” was the reply. 
“All the officers in the city are either watching 
for you or heading toward the boat. What 
have you done with Lieutenant Scott?” 

“Who sent in the report?” asked Ned. 

“I don’t know his name, but the chief does. 
He says he went to the water front, on the island 
side, with the Lieutenant, that the Lieutenant 


TWO WOLVES IN A PEN 


49 


went on board the Sea Lion with you and the 
others, and that he has not been seen since. 
What about it? Better confess and get an easy 
sentence.” 

'^The officers who are on their way to the 
submarine will find out why the Lieutenant 
never came out,” Ned said. ^^But about this 
man who made the report. Why was he wait- 
ing for Scott to leave the boat?” 

“Said he had an understanding with him that 
he was to watch outside, as Scott did not exactly 
trust you New York kids. A little while ago 
he heard a commotion and calls for help on 
board, so he came up to report.” 

“Thank you for the information,” Ned said. 
“Now, you can^t get us to headquarters any 
too quickly.” 

“\^ere is Scott?” asked the ofiicer. 

“Dead,” was the reply. 

“Holy smoke!” cried the policeman. “Then 
IVe arrested a couple of murderers!” 

“If you’ll hurry us to headquarters,” Ned 
replied, “and the man who made this report 
is still there. I’ll help you to arrest a real mur- 
derer. Here comes the wagon.” 

“Drive fast,” ordered the policeman as the 
three entered the patrol, wagon and the driver 
turned to inspect the boys. “I’ve got the fellows 
we’re after,” he added. 


50 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^^Great luck!’’ the driver replied. ^^There’ll 
be a big reward.” 

^^Oh, I guess I know my business!” said the 
policeman, with a boastful chuckle. 

The station was soon reached, and, without 
the least ceremony, the boys were pushed along 
to the cell block and locked up. Ned’s demand 
that they be taken before the chief was not 
heeded. 

^^This is fine!” Jimmie said, from the next 
cell to the one occupied by Ned. like this.” 

Before Ned could reply, the chief of police 
made his appearance in the corridor outside, 
a great ring of keys in one hand. He unlocked 
the cell doors without speaking a word and 
motioned the boys out into the corridor. 

Then, still without speaking, he pointed the 
way to his private office, ushered the lads in, 
closed and locked the door. 

“Well?” he said, then. 

“Will you send for the Coroner?” asked Ned. 

“So Scott is dead?” 

“Yes.” 

“Why did you kill him?” 

Before opening his mouth to reply, Ned caught 
sight of a dark stain on the arm of the chair in 
which he was seated. 

“Have you a microscope handy?” he asked. 

The chief opened his eyes in amazement. 


TWO WOLVES IN A PEN 


51 


The question, coming at that time, seemed al- 
most the raving of a mad man. This is the 
view the chief took of it, and he decided to 
conciliate the maniac. 

^What do you want of a miscroscope?’^ he 
asked. 

want to see if this spot is caused by the 
application of a certain rubber composition, and 
if there are shreds of blue wool mixed with it.” 

. guess,” the chief said, ^That your proper 
place is the foolish house.” 

“While your men are bringing the micro- 
scope,” Ned went on, coolly, “I want to ask 
you a few questions.” 

“Go ahead,” laughed the chief, wondering 
what sort of insanity this was. 

“Who sat in this chair last?” asked Ned. 

“Why, the last visitor, of course.” 

“Can you now recall his name?” 

“Curtis.” 

“How was he dressed?” 

“In a blue suit.” 

“Where is he now?” 

“I donT know. He said he would return as 
soon as the officers came back from the sub- 
marine.” 

“Yes he will!” Jimmie broke in. 

“Does he belong here?” asked Ned. 

The chief pointed to the west. 


52 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


‘^Over in the navy yard/’ he said. 

the blue suit he wore was a naval uni- 
form?” 

^^Exactly.” 

The chief touched a bell on his desk and a 
policeman opened the door at the back of the 
room, connecting with the sergeant’s room, and 
looked in. 

^^Get a microscope,” the chief ordered, ^^and 
keep quiet about what is going on in here.” 

The sergeant nodded and went out. 

^^What did you say about that smear on the 
arm of the chair?” asked the chief, then. 

He was beginning to understand that there 
was something besides mental trouble at the 
bottom of Ned’s inquiries. 

think,” was the reply, ^That an inspection 
of the spot will reveal a rubber composition 
used principally by the thieves of Paris as a 
paint to prevent palm and finger lines and whorls 
showing on things they take hold of.” 

The chief looked at the spot critically. 

‘'Also, shreds from a blue uniform,” Ned 
continued. 

“We shall see,” replied the chief. 

The microscope was soon brought in, and then 
a close examination of the spot on the arm of the 
chair was made by the chief. 

“What do you find?” asked Ned. 


TWO WOLVES IN A PEN 


53 


^‘1 really can’t say what it is,” was the reply. 

Ned took from a pocket a bit of the waste 
he had brought from the dynamo room of the 
submarine. 

^Xook at this,” he said, ^^and see if the ma- 
terial in it appears to be the same as that on 
the chair. I mean, of course, the smudge on 
it.” 

The chief turned his instrument on the waste. 

^Tt is the same,” he declared, in a moment, 
^^and I’d like to know where you got it.” 

^^Do you find blue threads — well, not threads, 
exactly, but bits of fuzz — in the waste, too?” 

^^Yes, but the trace is faint.” 

^^Well,” Ned said, ^The man who killed Lieu- 
tenant Scott is the man who gave you the in- 
formation you speak of. He sat in this chair 
not long ago. I would advise a search for him.” 

^^But he agreed to come back.” 

^^Of course he never will,” Ned said. “Now, 
here i^ another point. You are going to have 
the Sea Lion searched?” 

“Yes.” 

“Well, your men will find the body of Lieu- 
tenant Scott lying on a couch there. In that 
case, they will doubtless arrest the two boys I 
left on watch there?” 

“Certainly.” 

“And that will give the man who left this 


64 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


blur on the arm of this chair not long ago a 
chance to make off with the boat. I reckon 
you^ll do well to look after that part of the case, 
for the submarine belongs to the Secret Service 
department of the Government, and Uncle Sam 
has use for it just at this time.” 

^^The Secret Service department?” repeated 
the chief. ^^He said she was a scout boat 
Lieutenant Scott was going to coast south 
with.” 

^^Did he say why he suspected that Lieutenant 
Scott was in danger?” asked Ned. 

^^He said you boys were suspicious characters 
who claimed to be able to operate a submarine, 
and that Scott was inclined to try you out.” 

Ned took a long envelope from a pocket of 
his coat and passed it, unopened, to the chief. 

‘^Read the letter inside,” he said, ^^and then 
get me to the Sea Lion as quickly as possible.” 

The chief opened the envelope and read the 
single sheet of typewritten paper it held. 

^Trom the Secretary of the Navy!” he ex- 
claimed. 

^^Exactly.” 

donT need to ask if you are the Ned Nestor 
mentioned in the letter, then. I saw a picture 
of you in a San Francisco newspaper, not long 
ago, and now recognize you as the boy referred 
to.” 


TWO WOLVES IN A PEN 


55 


^^Then take us to the submarine/^ urged Ned. 

^Tt won’t do no good to take us there after 
that cheap skate has geezled the boat,” Jimmie 
cut in. 

^^And you are Jimmie,” the chief went on. 
^‘1 saw your picture, too. Well, this is quite 
a surprise for me,” the chief added. 

“You’ll get a greater surprise if you let that 
murderer get off with the Sea Lion,” Jimmie 
remarked. 

The chief called the sergeant again and in a 
moment all was confusion in the police station. 
A wagon was called, and the chief and his ex- 
prisoners were soon on their way to the wharf, 
followed by the eyes of the policemen left be- 
hind. 

“That’s Ned Nestor, of New York,” the boys 
heard one of the men on the iron steps in front 
saying as they passed, “and the little fellow is 
Jimmie McGraw. Great hit Preston made 
arresting them!” 

But the minds of the boys were too full of 
anxiety regarding the fate of Scott and the Sea 
Lion to pay much attention to the words of 
flattery they overheard. If the unknown mur- 
derer succeeded in securing the arrest of Jack and 
Frank and getting away in the submarine, the 
whole trip would have to be abandoned, at 
least for the present. 


56 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


Besides, Ned had no idea of going back to 
New York and reporting that he had been robbed 
of his boat under the very guns of the Mare 
Island Navy Yard. He urged the driver to 
make greater speed, and in a short time the 
wharf was in sight. 

Half a dozen policemen were gathered about 
the end nearest the float which upheld the Sea 
Lion, and the figure of another showed at the 
top of the conning tower. As the police wagon 
dashed up to the wharf another rig came up on 
a run and halted close at the side of it. 

^^Hello,’’ called the chief, recognizing a man 
on the seat, ^^how did you manage to get here 
so soon?^’ 

^^Some one ’phoned for me,” was the hurried 
reply. ^'Where is the dead man?” 

^Tn the submarine,” answered an officer who 
had drawn closer to the officiaFs buggy. 

Without another word the newcomer leaped 
out and was conveyed to the Sea Lion in the 
rowboat Ned had left tied to the wharf. 

'That’s the Coroner,” the chief said, in expla- 
nation. "He’ll soon get at the bottom of this.” 

"Suppose we get aboard the Sea Lion,” sug- 
gested Ned. 

"Of course,” said the chief, "you’ll remain here 
a few days and assist in the capture of this 
fellow?” 


TWO WOLVES IN A PEN 


57 


shall have to ask for instructions from 
Washington/^ was the reply. really ought to 
get away on the steamer which sails in the morn- 
ing.” 

When the three, using a boat an officer found 
nearby, reached the main cabin of the Sea Lion 
they found Jack and Frank sitting by the table, 
handcuffed, repeating over and over again their 
individual and collective opinion of the police 
of Vallejo. Jimmie seemed to take great de- 
light in taunting them. 

^^Black Bears in chains!” he roared. 

^^Huh, where have you Wolves been?” de- 
manded Jack. 'These cops said they had you 
in a pen!” 

While the Coroner was making his e^camina- 
tion the chief ordered the irons removed from 
the wrists of the boys. For a time the Coroner 
appeared to be puzzled. He lifted the hands 
of the apparently dead man and dropped them 
again. Then he held a pocket mirror before 
his lips. 

"Look here,” he said, presently, "I don’t 
believe this man is dead.” 

"I hope you are right,” Ned said, hopefully. 
"Still, the poison I got near killed me, while 
he must have gotten much more.” 

There was a short silence, during which the 
Coroner held his watch. 


58 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


CHAPTER VI 

NIGHT ON AN OCEAN FLOOR 

^^Over there, straight to the west,’^ Ned said, 
pointing from the conning tower of the sub- 
marine, ^^is the coast of China, not far from 
seventy-five miles away/^ 

^^And there, to the north,” Frank said, ^die 
the Taya Islands. The big fellow beyond is 
Hainan.” 

The sun was going down into the Gulf of 
Tong King like a ball of red fire, and the night 
was far from cool. 

Jimmie declared he could hear the water 
hiss as the sun dipped its red rim under the 
waves. The boy now stood by Ned’s side, 
looking over the wonderful scene. 

^ We’ve been somewhere near here before,” he 
said. “You remember the time w’'e came over 
to this side of the world and found a key to a 
treaty box? Well, we wasn’t far from this 
spot at one time.” 

“Right you are,” Frank replied. “Only we 
hope to find something more important than 
a key now. I hope they’ve had use for a cell 


NIGHT ON AN OCEAN FLOOR 59 


key in connection with that mix-up at Mare 
Island Navy Yard/^ 

^Tt was rotten to let that fellow get away!’’ 
Jimmie declared. just knew they would.” 

^^We were all so astonished at the recovery 
of Lieutenant Scott,” Ned observed, ^^that we 
overlooked a few things we ought to have kept 
in mind. Wasn’t it glorious! Think of Scott 
coming out of it all right at last !” 

^Well, he said he was a fixture on the coast 
until he found the man who came so near killing 
him,” Frank said, in a moment, ^^and I hope 
he’ll make good.” 

^^Huh,” Jimmie interrupted, “if you think 
that fellow is on the Pacific coast yet, you’ve 
got another think cornin’. You remember the 
Diver left San Francisco just about the time we 
did.” 

“What has that to do with it?” 

“Most nothin’ at all, only he sailed in her.” 

“You’re a wise little man!” 

“And, what’s more, we’ll see the Diver 
come pluggin’ along here before we get this job 
done,” Jimmie went on. “That Captain Moore 
and his son are out for blood.” 

“But the Diver will require at least a couple 
of months to get here,” urged Frank. “We can 
get away before that time.” 

“You don’t know what the Moores will do,” 


60 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


Ned said. rather agree with Jimmie, that 
we shall see something of the Diver before we 
leave this part of the world. 

“I hope so,^’ Frank said 

‘^Well, who^s for the bottom of the sea?” 
demanded Jimmie. want to see what^s down 
there before the Bogy Man gets me.” 

don’t mind going down,” Ned said. ^^Come 
on, well close the top hatch and drop to the 
bottom, then, if conditions are right, well enter 
the water closet, put on the diving suits, and 
take a walk on the floor of the big water.” 

^ ^Suppose we all go,” suggested Frank. 

‘Terhaps it may be well for two to remain 
aboard in order to help the others out, if neces- 
sary,” Ned observed. 

right,” Frank said. “Catch a fish by 
the tail and bring him in for supper.” 

“To-morrow,” Jimmie said, “you can take 
a run on the riparian rights an’ chase whales.” 

“I’ll wait and see whether you boys come out 
alive,” laughed Frank. “I’m a little leary 
about mixing with the funny little fishes. Some 
of ’em may bite!” 

After a thoroughly interesting voyage, the 
boys had at la'st reached the scene of their 
labors. It was now the 20th of October. The 
Sea Lion had rode securely on the float, and Ned 
and his companions had spent most of the time 


NIGHT ON AN OCEAN FLOOR 61 


during the journey under the great hood which 
covered the submarine, studying the mechanism 
and making themselves thoroughly familiar with 
the big machine. 

Arriving off the Taya Islands, the float had 
been submerged by opening the sluiceways and 
filling the tanks with water. The Sea Lion 
behaved admirably when she came to the sur- 
face after cutting away from the companion of 
her voyage. 

As there were no . appliances for lifting the 
big float, she was now at the bottom of the sea 
for all time, unless broken away from the water- 
filled tanks by divers, in which case the upper 
works would come to the surface. It was with 
feelings of keen regret that the boys saw the 
great barge, as it might well be called, lying, 
deserted, on the ocean floor. 

As has been shown by the conversation be- 
tween the boys in the conning tower. Lieutenant 
Scott had fully recovered from the effects of the 
poisonous fumes he had inhaled in the submarine 
on the night of Ned^s arrest at South Vallejo. 
Physicians stated at the time that his recovery 
was due to the fact that the conning tower hatch 
was open when the deadly gas was released. 
Ned, it was also stated, would have been dead 
in a few moments if the hatch had been closed. 

Search had been made, both by the police 


62 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


and the naval detectives, for the author of the 
mischief, but he had not been found. It was 
believed that his purpose in reporting the result 
of his own deviltry to the chief of police was to 
secure the arrest of the boys on the Sea Lion 
and make off with her. 

Ned did not say so, when discussing the matter 
with the officers, but he was satisfied that the 
Moores were at the bottom of the trouble. The 
Captain had resigned, and had been observed 
lounging about the wharf in New York where 
the Sea Lion lay, and had, it was afterwards 
learned, been seen in San Francisco on the day 
before the arrival of Lieutenant Scott and the 
Boy Scouts. 

In reaching this conclusion Ned assigned envy 
as the prime motive on the part of the Captain 
and his son. They had expected to be assigned 
the duty of searching the ocean floor for the 
wreck of the mail steamer. In their great 
disappointment nothing was more probable than 
that they had resolved to hamper the efforts 
of their successful rivals in every way. 

But there was still another view of the case 
which might be considered. The gold in the hull 
of the wrecked steamer would become the spoil 
of the first submarine to reach her. 

With the double incentive, greed joined to a 
thirst for revenge, it would not be at all strange 


NIGHT ON AN OCEAN FLOOR 63 


if the Moores had risked everything in their 
efforts to prevent the Sea Lion leaving the Navy 
Yard on her long trip. It was Ned^s private 
opinion, too, that the son had been the one to 
sneak into the submarine and attack the Lieu- 
tenant with the poisonous gas. 

Leaving Frank and Jack in the machine 
room, Ned and Jimmie entered the water cham-. 
ber and closed the door, which, however, was 
provided with a plate glass panel of great 
thickness, so that light from the other room 
supplied plenty of illumination. 

It was not designed to submerge the Sea 
Lion until the boys were all ready to step out. 
Four deep-sea suits hung on hooks in the water 
chamber, one for each of the boys. 

These suits were not much different from those 
usually worn by deep-sea divers. They were 
of seamless rubber composition, braced across 
the breast with bars of steel in order to offset 
the great pressure of the lower levels and give 
the lungs plenty of room for expansion. 

The helmets, which fitted on the neck of the 
suits, were lighter than those in ordinary use, 
but fully as strong. The cords attached to the 
helmets were very long, and the air-hose ad- 
mitted of a range of at least three hundred feet. 

By the side of each suit lay an electric search- 
light of special construction and a long steel 


64 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


pole, shaped something like a crowbar, but very 
slender and strong. This latter for defense in 
case attack should be made by some monster 
of the deep. 

“Say,” Jimmie grinned, slipping on his suit, 
“these spring suits look to me like someone to 
button us up in the back.” 

“I donT see where you find buttons,” replied 
Ned. 

“Look here, then!” 

The boy pointed to the screws designed to 
secure the helmets. 

“You button me up, and 141 button you up,” 
Ned laughed. “WeVe got to learn to do such 
things.” 

“141 catch a shark an^ get him to learn how,” 
cried Jimmie. “I wonder how I would look in 
this suit walkin’ down the Bowery. Gee! I 
bet the boys would jump out of their skins if 
they saw me cornin’. They’d think their master 
had come to claim ’em!” 

The boys worked industriously for a time, 
settling themselves in the rather clumsy suits, 
and then all was ready save putting on the heavy 
helmets. Jimmie pointed to a belt about the 
waist of his suit. 

“What’s that for?” he asked, pulling at a 
hook which was suspended from the steel 
circlet. 


NIGHT ON AN OCEAN FLOOR 65 


^^That’s to hang your searchlight on/^ was 
the reply. ^^There may come a time when 
youll want both hands to operate that spike 
thing youVe got to carry.^’ 

At last the helmets were adjusted, the cords 
and air-hose attached, and then Ned motioned 
to the boys, watching with grinning eyes through 
the plate glass panel, to turn on the air. The 
first sensation on receiving the air was one of 
exhilaration, but this soon passed off. 

Ned saw, by looking through the immense 
goggles which Jimmie wore, that the lad was 
almost bursting with laughter, but he knew 
that this effect would soon pass away. He 
pushed a button, and signaled to Frank to fill 
the water tanks. 

As the water chamber filled the boys felt a 
cold circle rise from their toes to their heads. 
They felt a sinking motion, and soon the myste- 
rious life of the ocean became visible through 
the outer glass door of the water chamber. 

The Sea Lion dropped evenly to the bottom. 
The supply of air was as perfect as it could well 
be. When the faint jar told Ned that the sub- 
marine was at last resting on the bed of the 
tropical sea he released a heavy bar which held 
the door, pushed it back against considerable 
pressure, and stepped out. 

Jimmie followed, and Ned stopped long enough 


86 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


to point to the lines as a warning that they should 
not be allowed to become tangled, and struck 
off. It was early in the evening, and there was 
a moon, almost at the full. 

The depth at that point was not great, scarcely 
more than sixty feet. The pressure of the water 
overhead made walking rather difficult, and the 
boys were strange to the lines they were draw- 
ing after them, but they made good progress 
until they came to the end of the air-hose. 

It was not as dark under the waves as might 
have been expected. The light of the sun pene- 
trates, ordinarily, to a depth of not far from 
forty feet, and the moon’s rays on this night 
were very strong. It was not light enough for 
the boys to see objects around them, but there 
was a soft illumination above their heads not 
dissimilar to the faint haze of light which lies 
over a country landscape situated at no great 
distance from a city bright with electricity. 

By using the searchlights, however, the boys 
were able to distinguish objects directly about 
them. They were on a level plain of pure 
white sand. Ages and ages ago this pavement 
laid so smoothly on the ocean ffoor had existed 
in the form of rocks. 

Through countless years it had faced the as- 
saults of the waves, until at last, in utter de- 
feat, it had succumbed to the mighty force and 


NIGHT ON AN OCEAN FLOOR 67 


dropped in fine grains to the lower levels of the 
\vorld. It seemed to Ned that it had lain there 
for centuries, with never a storm to pile it into 
ridges or break its level surface into pits. 

The scene about the boys was indescribably 
beautiful. The inhabitants of the sea rivaled 
the rainbow in brilliancy of coloring. There 
were more forms of life in sight than either of 
the boys had ever imagined in existence. 

Queer-shaped sea creatures with long tails 
darted about the rubber-clad figures, and now 
and then an inquisitive fish with curious eyes 
poked its nose against the eye plates, as if 
intent on discovering what sort of creature it 
was that carried a sunrise in its head. 

There were monster creatures in sight, too, 
and Jimmie jabbed at one of them and brought 
blood. This brought others, and in a short time 
the boys found themselves surrounded by a 
school of sharks. 

Ned threw himself down on the sandy bottom 
and motioned to Jimmie to do likewise. This 
seemed to surprise the sharks, for they nosed 
around for only a moment longer. Seeing no 
opportunity of getting under their prospective 
dinners, they switched their tails angrily, like 
a cat in a temper, and swam off about their 
business, if they had any. 

But Ned hf'd little interest in the sea life about 


68 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


him. At another time, and under other con- 
ditions, he would have enjoyed the novelty of 
the scene to the fullest, but now he was anx- 
iously watching for some indication of the 
presence of the wreck of the Cutaria. 

He was as certain as it was possible to be 
that the Sea Lion had descended almost at the 
exact spot where the ill-fated vessel went down. 
The hull should be out there in the sand some- 
where, and he lost no time in making his in- 
vestigations. 

But there was nothing on the smooth surface 
to show that any vessel had ever rested there. 
Away to the north, however, the boy finally 
saw what looked like an elevation. 

His flashlight, however, would not throw its 
beams to the point of interest, and he decided 
to return to the Sea Lion, rest for the remainder 
of the night, and shift the submarine in the morn- 
ing. 

Motioning to his companion, therefore, he 
turned toward the door to the water chamber. 
They had proceeded only a few steps when 
something seemed to pass over their heads. 

It was as if a heavy cloud had drifted over 
a summer sky, outlining its shape on the fields 
below for an instant and then passing on. Jim- 
mie caught Ned^s arm and pointed upward. 

It was plain that the little fellow had caught 


NIGHT ON AN OCEAN FLOOR 69 


sight of something his companion had missed, 
but of course he could not explain then and there 
what it was. Ned hastened his steps, and soon 
stood at the door of the water chamber, which 
had been left open. 

As Jimmie pushed into the water-filled apart- 
ment by his side and Ned was about to close 
the door and expel the w^ater from the chamber, 
as well as from the tanks of the submarine, 
something which flashed like polished steel 
hurtled through the water and struck the bottom 
just outside the doorway. 

Ned stepped out and picked it up. It was a 
keen-edge knife, such as sailors carry. On the 
handle v/as a single initial — 

Ned knew what that meant. Through some 
strange agency, by means of some unaccountable 
assistance, the Diver had reached the scene of 
the proposed operations of the Sea Lion. 

From this time on, it would be a battle of 
wits — perhaps worse! 


70 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


CHAPTER VII 

THE SECRET OF THE HOLD 

In response to Ned^s hand on the lever, the 
water door closed and the pumps in the next 
compartment soon cleared not only the sea 
vestibule but the tanks of the submarine of 
seawater. 

In a moment the Sea Lion lifted to the sur- 
face, and Ned lost no time in relieving himself 
of his helmet. Then, still attired in the rubber 
suit, he hastened to the conning tower, where 
he found Jack, glass in hand, sweeping the 
moonlit sea eagerly. 

There was a faint haze off to the west, but 
nothing more. Whatever had passed above 
the submerged boat, on the surface, had wholly 
disappeared, though the time had been very 
short. 

^AVhat did you see?” 

Ned asked the question because Jack^s man- 
ner indicated excitement, if not anxiety. 

^^Just a shadow,” was the reply. 

^Tt might have been a shadow, passing over 
the moon, the shadow of a cloud, or a cloud 


THE SECRET OF THE HOLD 71 


itself/^ suggested Frank, sticking his head out 
of the hatchway. 

Ned pointed to the sky. There was not a 
cloud in sight. 

“It must have been something of the kind,^^ 
Jack mused, “for no boat could get out of sight 
so soon.” 

“Not even a submarine?” asked Ned. 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“Did you see a submarine?” 

Both questions were asked in a breath. 

“No,” replied Ned, “I did not see a sub- 
marine, but I donT believe any cloud passing 
over the sky would drop anything like this.” 

He passed the knife to Jack and took the glass. 
Jack opened his eyes wide as he examined the 
weapon and noted the initial on the handle. 
He turned impulsively to Ned. 

“Where did you get it?” he asked. 

“At the bottom.” 

“Did you find it lying there?” 

“It fell just as I reached the water chamber^” 

“Then how the dickens did the Diver get 
away so soon?” demanded the boy. 

“It sure did fall from the Diver,” agreed 
Frank, taking the knife and examining it. 

“It would seem so,” Ned replied, “but, of 
course, the initial may be merely a coincidence.” 


72 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


guess we’re in for it.” 

‘^But how did the Diver get here so soon after 
our arrival?” asked one of the boys. 

Ned looked grave for a moment, and then 
replied, his manner showing how fully he ap- 
preciated the importance of his words: 

'^What I fear is that she got here first.” 

^^And found the wreck?” 

^^She might have done so.” 

^^Did you see anything of the Cutaria down 
there?” asked Frank. 

^^Not a bloomin’ thing,” answered Jimmie, 
making his appearance on the conning tower. 

^^The Diver might have towed it away,” 
suggested Jack. 

^Tmpossible!” cried the others, in chorus. 

^ ^Anyway,” Jack continued, ^ Ve’re up against 
the real goods now. If the Diver is here we’ll 
have a scrap.” 

^^But suppose it should be some other outfit?” 
asked Frank. ^^Some pirate outfit after the 
gold?” 

“Still there would be a scrap.” 

“That’s one advantage of goin’ with Ned,” 
Jimmie edged in. “You most always get into 
a scrap!” 

“Well,” Ned said, presently, “we may as well 
drop down and keep our lights low. If the 


THE SECRET OF THE HOLD 73 


Diver is here, the Moores are aware of our 
presence, and we must be prepared for anything.’^ 

In ten minutes the submarine lay at the bot- 
tom of the sea, with no lights showing, every 
plate glass window having been shuttered on 
the outside by a system of protection which 
was one of the best features of the craft. Then 
Ned explained that he had seen, at some dis- 
tance, an apparent elevation rising from the 
sand. 

^That may be the wreck,” he said. 

move we go and see,” shouted Jimmie. 

‘Tn the darkness?” asked Frank. 

‘Tt is as light out there now,” Jack declared, 
^^as it will ever be, unless some subterranean 
volcano lights up and makes fireworks on the 
bottom, so we may as well be off.” 

^^All right,” Ned said, in a moment. was 
meditating a little rest to-night, but it may be 
advisable to get to work at once. For all we 
know the Moores may be stripping the wreck, 
even now.” 

^^What I canT understand,” Jack said, stick- 
ing to the first proposition, ^^is how the Diver 
got here in such good time.” 

^^As has been said, it may be some other craft,” 
Frank consoled. 

^^DonT believe it,” insisted Jimmie. “The 


74 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


boat that dropped that knife is a submarine, 
else how could she disappear so suddenly? She 
may be watching us now/^ 

^^Or her divers may be prowling around the 
Sea Lion!^^ Jack created a little sensation by 
saying. 

^^What would be the use of prowling around 
outside the boat?^^ asked Jimmie. “They 
couldnT hear anything, or see anything.^’ 

“But a torpedo will act under water,” sug- 
gested Frank. “Those chaps are equal to any- 
thing.” 

“Shall we go out and look around?” asked 
Jack. 

Ned hesitated. He really was alarmed at the 
situation. He knew how desperate the Moores 
must be, and he had no doubt that in some 
strange way the Diver had been brought to the 
scene of the wreck. 

“If you and Frank are partial to a moonlight 
stroll under sixty feet of water,” he finally said, 
“you may as well put on your water suits and 
look around.” 

“Leave Jimmie here to watch the boat and 
come with us,” urged Jack. 

“Go on,” Jimmie advised. “I can run this 
shebang, all right. Go on and see what you 
can see.” 


THE SECRET OF THE HOLD 75 


we are going out to-night/^ Ned said, 
after reflection, ‘Ve may as well shift the Sea 
Lion and inspect the bottom over where we 
saw the apparent elevation/^ 

^^Yes; that may be the wreck, Jack ad- 
mitted. 

So the submarine was moved a short distance 
to the north, about the space which had seemed 
to separate the boys from the elevation, and 
preparations were made for going out. Jimmie 
was rather pleased at the idea of being left in 
charge of the submarine. 

^^Of course youfll not touch the machinery, 
Ned warned. ^^All you can do is to see that 
the air pumps are kept going. Any motion of 
the boat, you understand, might break or dis- 
arrange the hose carrying the air to us, so be 
careful.’^ 

“Oh, I guess I don^t want to murder any of 
you,” laughed the little fellow. “Go ahead 
and Ifll run things all right on board the boat. 
I could operate her anywhere.” 

The Sea Lion was lifted only a trifle in order 
to make the change to the new location. As 
she moved along she was not much more than a 
fathom from the level sand below. 

This was done by regulating the water in the 
tanks to the pressure at the depth it was desired 


76 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


to navigate. The delicate mechanisms designed 
to show depth, pressure, air value, and all the 
important details of a submarine were abso- 
lutely perfect. 

So the three boys entered the water chamber, 
leaving Jimmie grinning through the glass 
panel. When the boat was brought to the 
bottom they opened the outer door and stepped 
out. 

The Sea Lion had traversed only a short 
distance, yet the surface upon which the lads 
walked seemed very different from the smooth 
sand level Ned had seen before. There were 
now little ridges of sand, and now and then a 
pit opened up almost under their feet. 

A dozen yards from where they emerged from 
the submarine they came upon the elevation 
which Ned had observed on his first trip out. 
It was not, however, a submerged rock or a 
bit of harder soil in the desert of sand. It was 
the hull of a wrecked vessel. 

Ned moved along one side of the wreck, as 
far as his air-hose would permit him to go, and 
was satisfied that he had found the lost mail 
ship. The sand was already drifting against 
her sides, but she was still far from buried. 

On the port side, about a third of the way 
to the stern from the bow, the boy discovered 
the wound which had brought the stately vessel 


THE SECRET OF THE HOLD 77 


to her present position. She lay, tilted about 
a quarter, in eighty feet of water. 

Ned w^ondered why passing vessels had not 
discovered her. The tall stacks had been beaten 
down, probably snapped off at the collision, 
but the superstructure was high, and not far 
below the surface, Ned thought. 

After motioning Jack and Frank to remain 
at the break in the side of the ship, Ned clam- 
bered up and, being careful to protect his air- 
hose and line from the jagged edges of the wound, 
crept inside. His electric flashlight revealed 
the interior only a short distance ahead of him, 
but at the very outset he saw that some of the 
air-tight compartments remained intact. 

There was a lifting, swaying motion oc- 
casionally w^hich told him that there was still 
air imprisoned in the broken ship. At that 
distance from the surface there would be no 
wave motion to produce the oscillations he ob- 
served. 

^Tt is very strange,” he mused, as he clam- 
bered over bales, chests and boxes in the hold, 
^^that the ship should have gone down so 
quickly. Telegraphic reports at the time of 
the accident — if it was an accident — stated 
that she sank slowly. It would require only a 
little assistance to bring her to the surface.” 

The boy made his way as far into the interior 


78 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


as he could with his comparatively short air- 
hose, and then turned back to where he had 
left Jack and Frank. He had found it impos- 
sible, on account of the shifting to the prow of 
the hold cargo, to reach the cabin and the cap- 
tain^s oflBces without entering from the top 
deck. 

As he turned around he stopped an instant, 
his attention attracted by a sound which seemed 
to come from beyond the bulkhead back of him. 
It sounded almost like the hiss of escaping steam. 
The lad knew that it must be a strong vibration 
which could thus make itself felt at that distance 
below the surface and through the heavy helmet 
he wore. 

The more he considered the matter the clearer 
became the fact that it was actually uniform 
sound he heard. That is, sound brought to 
his ears by the water. 

Some force might be moving the water, and 
the motion might be conveying to his ears, 
through the thin sides of the air-hose, the story 
of the action of the waves, if waves could be 
created at that depth. 

As he listened to the steady beating he became 
convinced that some unknown power was at 
work in the wreck. What it was he could not 
even guess. 


THE SECRET OF THE HOLD 


79 


Then he heard sharper sounds which seemed 
to be created by steel striking steel. The jar 
brought the sound waves to his ears quite dis- 
tinctly. 

^^Either I^m going daffy/^ the boy mused, 
^^or there is some one at work on the wreck/ ^ 

He left the hold and, without giving the others 
to understand that he had discovered anything 
of importance, began an examination of the 
sand along the line of the bottom. His air-hose 
was not long enough to admit of passing en- 
tirely around the vessel, so he motioned to the 
boys to accompany him and turned back to the 
submarine. 

^^Did you hear anything down there?” asked 
he as soon as the helmets had been removed. 

^^What are you talking about?” asked Frank, 
with a laugh. ^Water would not convey sound 
to the ear.” 

^^But the jar of water would,” observed Jack. 

heard a jar while I was down there.” 
donT believe it!” Jimmie cut in. 

^When in swimming,” said Frank, ^^did you 
ever sit on the bottom of the swimming hole and 
pound two stones together?” 

^^Of course,” laughed the little fellow. 

^^And you heard a noise?” 

believe I did, but it was not such a noise 


80 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


as one would hear from the same cause in the 
air.’’ 

“Well,” Ned went on, “I heard noises down 
there, too, and I’ll tell you right here that I’m 
alarmed.” 

“Scared!” roared Jimmie. 

“Alarmed at what?” demanded Frank. “I 
didn’t see anything to be alarmed at.” 

“I have no theory as to what it was I heard,” 
Ned went on, “but I’m going to get a longer air- 
hose, shift the Sea Lion so she will hang over 
the wreck, and go down again right away.” 

“I’m ready!” laughed Jack. “I want to 
hear that noise again.” 

“Do you think there are men down there 
removing the gold?” asked Jack. 


ON GUARD UNDER THE SEA 


81 


CHAPTER VIII 

ON GUARD UNDER THE SEA 

there is anybody at work on the wreck/ ^ 
Ned replied, ^^they may be removing the gold 
or they may be searching the vessel for incrim- 
inating documents.” 

guess any documents found down there 
will be pretty wet,” laughed Jack. 

^They may be in sealed boxes,” Ned replied. 
^ ^Anyway, if there are important documents 
on board they might be rendered legible by 
proper and judicious handling.” 

^^Here we go, then,” Jack exclaimed. ^Tll 
expel the water in the tanks until the Sea Lion 
rests at the right altitude, over the wreck, and 
we can enter by way of the decks.” 

^^But what will the other fellows be doing 
while we are getting into position?” asked 
Frank. 

^^Gettin^ ready to cut our lines, probably,” 
interposed Jimmie. 

^That’s a fact,” Jack said. ^Tf there are 
men working in the ship they must be supplied 
with air by a submarine. How could that be 
done, I^d like to know.” 


82 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


“They might anchor the submarine some 
distance away/^ replied Ned, “and lay an air- 
hose along the bottom. If attached to the hose 
leading into the helmets before being placed, 
two or three might work from such a supply, 
and such a system, too, would obviate a good 
deal of the danger to be feared from crossed 
hnes.^’ 

“YouVe got it all figured out!’’ cried Jimmie. 

“Well,” Frank intervened, “I’ll bet that he 
has it right. Those Moore persons were not 
born yesterday.” 

“That’s right,” Jack admitted. “We saw 
enough of the Captain in the Black Bear club- 
room in New York to know that he is an expert 
in the submarine business. He may be an 
imitation fop and a bounder, as he would say, 
but he certainly is next to his job.” 

“Why wouldn’t it be a good idea to sneak 
around in our water suits until we find the lines 
an’ cut them?” asked Jimmie. 

“That would be plain murder,” Ned replied. 

“I guess they wouldn’t hesitate long if the 
conditions were reversed,” Frank suggested, 
“still, I wouldn’t like to be in with anything as 
brutal as that.” 

“Come to think of it,” Jimmie admitted, 
“I wouldn’t, either.” 


ON GUARD UNDER THE SEA 


83 


don’t get the idea of these incriminating 
documents/’ Jack said, in a moment. ^That 
is one thing I did not pay attention to in the 
talk with Captain Moore at the clubroom.” 

“What he said was this,” Ned explained. 
“The Government is accused, in certain hostile 
foreign circles, of conspiring with the leaders 
of the revolution now brewing in China. He 
declared that the Washington officials were even 
charged with sending the gold to the rebels by 
the roundabout way of the present Chinese 
Government.” 

“You’ll have to come again!” laughed Frank.. 
“I’m dense as to that part of it. It is too subtle 
for me.” 

“Me, too,” Jimmie asserted. 

“All I know about it,” Ned answered, “is 
that Captain Moore declared that the rebel 
leaders were purposely posted as to the shipment 
of the gold, and that they were to seize it as 
soon as it left the protection of the American 
flag, if they could. At least they were to be 
given a chance to do so.” 

“Even in that case,” Frank reasoned, “the 
Washington people wouldn’t be foolish enough 
to place incriminating papers with the shipment. 
The whole scheme might fail, you know.” 

“It does look pretty fishy,” Ned remarked;^ 


84 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^^but the ways of diplomacy are often crooked 
ways. Anyway, it is claimed by some that the 
mail boat was rammed, that it was no accident 
that sent her to keep company with McGinty 
at the bottom of the sea.^^ 

Jack expelled the water from the tanks of 
the Sea Lion until the instruments in the machine 
room showed her to be near the surface, and, 
as Ned estimated, directly above the wreck. 
Then an anchor was sent out, to prevent any 
possible drifting, and Ned, Frank and Jack put 
on their helmets again. 

The lines used for signaling and the air-hose 
had both been spliced, and it was figured that 
any part of the wreck could now be visited. The 
drop lines were also longer, and the machinery 
for hauling the divers up on signal was made 
ready for use. 

^^We can^t walk out and in the Sea Lion now,^' 
Ned said, ^^and a good deal depends on the 
vigilance of the boy left in the boat. Watch 
for the slightest signal, Jimmie,’^ he warned. 

The touching of a lever unwound the lifting 
and lowering lines when all was ready, and in a 
minute the three boys found themselves on the 
upper deck of the wreck. It was tilted at an 
angle of about twenty degrees, so great care 
was exercised in traversing it. 


ON GUARD UNDER THE SEA 85 


As Jimmie swung the lever which lowered the 
three boys he peered out of a darkened window. 
He saw only the dim surface light. 

‘^TheyVe got sense enough not to show any 
light,” he mused, ^^so the thieves won’t know 
what is going on unless they see the shadow 
overhead, or run into one of the fellows.” 

Leaving Frank, as the most cautious of the 
boys, to guard the lines and air-hose when they 
touched sharp angles, Ned, accompanied by 
Jack, advanced down the main companionway 
and was soon in the large and handsomely 
furnished cabin. 

Then the electric searchlights were put to 
use, and the great apartment lay partly exposed 
to view. Their entrance into the room seemed 
to create something like a current in the water, 
and articles of light weight came driving at them. 

Ned turned sick and faint as a dead body lifted 
from the floor and a ghastly face was turned 
toward his own. A few unfortunate ones had 
gone down with the ship, and most of the bodies 
lay in this cabin. 

Those who had remained on deck until the 
final plunge had, of course, drifted away. How- 
ever, the boy soon recovered his equilibrium, 
and went about his work courageously, not- 
withstanding the fact that many terrifying forms 


86 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


of marine life swam and squirmed around 
him. 

Clinging to heavy tables and chairs to pre- 
vent slipping, the boys made their way to that 
part of the ship where, according to their draw- 
ings, the captain’s cabin had been. Their first 
duty was to make search for any sealed papers 
which might be there. 

The room was located at last, and then Ned- 
motioned to Jack to extinguish his light. The 
boy obeyed orders with a feeling of dread. 

It was dark as the bottomless pit in the cabin 
now, and fishes and squirming things brushed 
against his legs and rubbed against the line 
which was supplying him with air. 

In all the experiences of the Boy Scouts 
nothing like this had ever been encountered 
before. In Mexico, in the Philippines, in the 
Great Northwest, in the Canal Zone, in the 
cold air far above the roof of the world, they had 
usually been in touch with all the great facts of 
Nature, but now they seemed separated from 
all mankind — buried in a fathomless pit filled 
with unclean things. 

The door of the captain’s cabin was closed. 
Ned put his ear against it, then reached out 
and took Jack by the arm. The latter under- 
stood the order and crowded close. 


ON GUARD UNDER THE SEA 87 


From the other side came sharp blows, and 
through the keyhole came the glow of illumi- 
nated water. Ned^s worst fears were realized. 
Some one had reached the wreck in advance of 
his party. 

He knew that he could not justly be censured 
for the activity of his enemies, and yet the 
thought that he was in danger of failing in his 
mission brought the hot blood surging to his 
head. He did not stop at that time to de- 
liberate as to how the hostile forces had gained 
this advantage in time. 

He did not even try to solve the problem as 
to the personality of the hostile element. The 
men working on the other side of the door to 
the captain^s cabin might have crossed the 
Pacific in the Diver, or they might have been 
recruited from foreign seaports. 

The question did not particularly interest 
him. The point with him was that they were 
there. 

And, now, what course ought he to pursue? 
For a time, as he stood against the door, he 
could reach no conclusion. 

Directly, however, the important questiou 
presented by the unusual situation* came to 
the boy^s mind. It was this: 

Where was the boat into which the workers 


88 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


on the other side of the door proposed to remove 
the plunder? 

The Diver, or some other efficient submarine 
must be close at hand. The men who were 
searching the captain^s room were being supplied 
with air from some source. 

And here was another question: 

Had the gold already been removed? 

It seemed to Ned that the first thing for him 
to do was to locate the submarine. For all 
he knew, prowlers from her might be nosing 
around the Sea Lion. 

He had left the door to the water chamber 
open, of course, and so it must remain until he 
returned. Jimmie, owing to a defect after- 
wards corrected, could not expel the water while 
the door was open, nor could he close the door 
from the interior. 

Fearful that some mischief was on foot, he 
grasped Jack by the arm and hastened back 
to where Frank had been left. His first care 
should be to find the exact location of the hostile 
submarine and then see that no air-hose reached 
from her to the Sea Lion. 

The three boys passed out of the wreck and 
came to the stern of the once fine ship. She had 
gone down prow first, and the stern was a little 
above the level sand floor of the sea. 


ON GUARD UNDER THE SEA 89 


Instead of passing around the stern and com- 
ing out on the other side, the boys halted and 
crouched down, so as to see under the keel. As 
the outer shell of the ship was here at least a 
yard above the bottom, it was plain that the 
cargo had swept forward when she went down, 
thus holding her by the nose. 

There was no longer any doubt as to what was 
going on. There, only a few yards away, lay 
the dark bulk of a submarine. Only for a 
light glimmering through the closed door of the 
water chamber it could not have been seen at all. 

The men who were working in the wreck had 
taken no chances in leaving the boat. Their 
lines and air-hose passed through the outer 
door in weU-guarded openings, and the interior 
was as safe from intrusion as a walled-in fortress. 

Ned regretted that he had not observed the 
same precaution in leaving the Sea Lion, still 
he did not believe that his boat had been at- 
tacked. After a few moments devoted to ob- 
servation, Ned crept around the keel and looked 
down the side of the ship which lay toward the 
submarine. Men with electric lamps in their 
helmets were working there. 

They appeared to be forcing an entrance into 
the lower hold of the ship through a small break 
in the shell. This led him to the conclusion 


90 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


that the way to the very bottom was blocked 
from the inside, and that the gold — if it had 
been stored there — had not yet been removed. 

He returned to his chums and all three started 
back to the Sea Lion. The men about the wreck 
were all so busy that it did not seem to Ned that 
they knew of the presence there of his submarine. 

Still, he searched the bottom, as he passed 
along, with both hands and feet for any line 
which, leaving the stranger, might be leading 
to her rival. Finally he discovered, much to 
his annoyance, a hauling line and an air-hose 
leading in the direction he was going. 

^T’m afraid,^^ he thought, ^That Jimmie is in 
trouble.^^ 


“LIKE A FOX’» 


91 


CHAPTER rS 

“jIMMIE^S FOOLISH — LIKE A FOX’^ 

Left alone in the Sea Lioa, Jimmie spent most 
of his time watching from a darkened window. 
He could distinguish little in the faint sifting 
of moonlight which dropped down from the 
sparkling surface of the sea, but there was com- 
panionship even in that. 

He had been instructed by Ned to keep the 
interior dark, and so he watched the ocean 
floor for the lights which his chums might be 
obliged to turn on. As the reader knows, how- 
ever, the exploring party showed no lights at 
all until the interior of the wreck had been gained. 

Listening and waiting, half inclined to admit 
that he was just a little bit lonesome, the boy 
stood at his post for about a quarter of an hour. 
Then he saw an opaque object moving toward 
the submarine. 

It was not a shark or other monster of the 
sea, for it walked upright and seemed to move 
up and down as it came to the httle undulations 
in the ocean floor. When it came nearer Jim- 
mie moved toward the door of the water cham- 
ber. 


92 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^That must be Ned/’ he thought, “cornin’ 
back alone. Now, I wonder if anythin’ has 
happened to Frank an’ Jack?” 

For a moment the heart of the lad throbbed 
wildly, then he calmed himself with the thought 
that in case of accident he would have been 
notified by the lifting lines. The air machine 
was working perfectly, too, and this indicated 
that all was well below. 

Finally the moving object came to a position 
about ten yards distant from the submarine 
and stopped. He was now about fifty feet 
below the window out of which Jimmie looked, 
for the Sea Lion, as has been said, lay well up 
from the bottom, not exactly over the wreck 
but not far from it. 

In a moment the boy saw the glimmer of a 
lamp down where the man was, and saw that 
it was moving about on the bottom. Lights, 
of course, do not show in water as they do in 
air, and so it was only a faint illumination that 
Jimmie observed. 

Still, he could see that whoever was carrying 
the light was fumbling about on the bottom. 
He watched intently for a moment and then 
saw the man coming toward him, swimming 
straight up. 

“I guess it’s one of the boys,” Jimmie mused. 
“He must have lost his line, and when I saw 


‘‘LIKE A FOX” 


93 


him fumbling he must have been removing the 
weights designed to hold him down in spite of 
the air in the helmet.” 

This appeared to be a good explanation, and 
the boy stood with his face pressed against the 
glass panel of the water chamber door, waiting 
for whoever it was to enter, close the apart- 
ment, and push the lever that controlled the 
exhaust which emptied the chamber. 

At last the swimmer clambered into the 
chamber, and the waiting boy was about to 
switch on a light when a suspicious action on 
the part of the other caused him to hesitate. 
He could observe the actions of the man in the 
water on the other side of the glass panel quite 
clearly now, and was alarmed at what he saw 
him doing. 

Instead of drawing his air-hose in with him 
and coiling it carefully so as to clear the door- 
way and still leave free passage for the air 
which was being pumped into it, he laid the hose 
carefully in a slide-covered groove in the edge 
of the door. The hose did not seem to be quite 
large enough to fill the groove, and the fellow 
took something soft and pliable from a pocket 
and wrapped around it. 

Then he closed the door and pushed the lever 
which released the power that forced the water 
out of the chamber. Only one inference was 


94 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


to be drawn from the scene which Jimmie had 
witnessed. 

The man in the water chamber was a stranger. 
This was merely an attempt to get possession 
of the Sea Lion. 

The fellow was breathing air pumped into 
his hose by some other boat than the Sea Lion. 
He had cast off his weights in order to gain the 
chamber, which neither one of the boys would 
have found necessary, as they would have been 
carried up by the machinery which worked the 
lifting and descending lines. 

Another thing the boy realized, as he waited 
with anxiety for the next move. The man, 
whoever he was, was thoroughly familiar with 
the plan of the Sea Lion. 

The grooves in the edge of the door had been 
planned so as to give entrance to visitors who 
w’ere not receiving their air from the Sea Lion. 
No one was believed to know anything about 
this arrangement — no one save the builders 
and the Secret Service men. 

While Jimmie watched, the intruder moved 
the lever and the water in the chamber began 
to lower. When the water was forced out fresh 
air was automatically forced in. 

Before long the intruder disconnected his 
hose with his helmet and threw the end over a 
hook provided for that purpose. When the 


‘‘LIKE A FOX’’ 


95 


water was all out he knocked heavily on the 
door leading to the room where Jimmie stood. 

‘Therein be doings here directly/’ the boy 
thought. 

Again and again the visitor beat upon the 
door, but Jimmie gave no sign. He could not 
well observe the man now, for, with the water 
out of the chamber, the light carried by the 
man inside shone brightly against the glass 
panel, and the boy would have been observed 
had he stood close to it. 

Jimmie grew more anxious as the seconds 
passed. He was trying to put away the thought 
that the intruder had cut the air-hose attached 
to the helmets of his friends. 

For all he knew all three boys might be lying 
drowned, on the floor of the ocean. The thought 
was unbearable, and he resolved to banish it 
in action. 

His first impulse was to disconnect the exhaust 
and fill the chamber with water. The man in 
there had disconnected his air-hose and would 
soon drown. 

But the brutality of such a course soon pre- 
sented itseh, and Jimmie cast about for some 
other method of meeting the dangerous situa- 
tion. He could hear the visitor fumbling at the 
door, and wondered if he knew the secret of 
opening it. 


96 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


After a time it seemed to the listening boy 
that the fellow was feeling in the right locality 
for the hidden spring which would open the 
door from the other side, and sprang for the 
bar which secured it against such entrance. 
Then he dropped the bar and stood wiping the 
sweat from his forehead. 

^Tf I bar the door,^’ he mused, ^That robber 
will cut the air-hose protecting the boys out- 
side, if he has not already done so. IVe just 
got to let him in here an^ take chances.’^ 

He hastened to the back of the room and 
brought a long coil of rope. Making a running 
noose in one end, he released several loops from 
the big coil and held them loosely in his hand. 

“I wonder if I can assist him into our princely 
apartments?” thought the boy, whimsically. 
^Tf I can get this rope around his body and over 
his arms, 1^11 be the boss of the precinct! I 
expect he’ll tumble around a good deal, but I 
guess I can quell him!” 

The boy waited in the darkness until a faint 
click told him that the intruder had discovered 
the spring. This was followed by a slam as the 
sliding door fell back. 

Then all was still. Jimmie, hidden in the 
shadows, prepared to throw his lasso as soon as 
the visitor left the doorway. 

^^HeUo!” 


“LIKE A FOX»» 


97 


The voice carried a hoarse challenge. 

“Any one here?^’ 

The man was still in the doorway, and was 
swinging his light about so as to give him a 
better view of the room. 

“If he would only drop his arms!^’ Jimmie 
mused. “I’d like to hit him with a ballclub!” 

Directly the fellow did drop his arms, and 
at the same moment stepped out of the shelter 
of the doorway. This was what Jimmie had 
been waiting for, and he lost no time in acting. 

The rope cut the air and descended over the 
intruder’s head and arms. The lad’s hours 
of practice while playing cowboy now proved 
to be of great worth. 

Jimmie gave a quick jerk as the rope landed 
and he ran to the back of the room. He heard 
the other fall, and knew by the weight that 
he was dragging him. 

When he gained the wall he switched on the 
light and reached to a shelf for a weapon. When 
he faced his captive he held an automatic re- 
volver in his hand. 

By this time a torrent of expletives was com- 
ing through the helmet opening where the air- 
hose had entered. The prisoner rolled about 
on the floor, trying to get to his feet. 

“Whoo-pee!” shouted the boy. “Look what 
one can catch out of the ocean!” 


98 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


A roar of rage was the only answer. 

^^Take off that helmet!’’ commanded the boy* 

A muffled challenge came from the interior. 

^^All right,” said the boy, ^^then I’ll take it 
off for you. But I’ll have this gun handy, and 
if you try any foolishness you won’t hold water 
when I get done shootin’.” 

Before long the helmet was off, and Jimmie 
was looking into as evil a face as he had ever 
seen. It was the face of a stranger, and yet 
there seemed something familiar about it. 

^^What sort of a game is this?” demanded 
the captive. ^Tf you know what’s good for 
you, you’ll quit this cowboy business.” 

^^Who are you?” asked Jimmie. 

A snarl was the only reply. The enraged 
man was tugging fiercely at the rope. 

^^Quit it!” warned Jimmie. ^T’ll have to 
put you to sleep if you try that.” 

^^You don’t dare!” 

^^Don’t four-flush!” the boy advised. 

^^Release me!” 

Jimmie sat down and leveled the weapon at 
the struggling man. 

guess I’d better shoot,” he said, calmly, 
suppose you’ve cut the boys’ air-hose, and 
I’ll have to get back to New York the best way 
I can — alone. So, you see, I can’t be bothered 
with you.” 


“LIKE A FOX’’ 


99 


The captive ceased his struggles and managed 
to rise to a sitting position. His eyes were 
not so threatening as before. 

“No/’ he declared, “I didn’t cut the hose.” 

“Why? You’re equal to such a trick.” 

“I was told not to.” 

Jimmie hesitated a moment. He wished 
devoutly that he could believe what the fellow 
said. 

“Who told you not to?” he then asked. 

The captive shook his head. 

“I don’t know his name,” he said. 

“And you are sailing with him?” 

“All I know is that he is called the Captain.” 

“I see,” said the boy. “Now, how comes it 
that you know so much of the plans of the Sea 
Lion?” 

“What makes you think I do?” 

“You found the groove in the door, and also 
the spring that opens the door to the water 
chamber.” 

“Oh, that!” 

“Well?” the boy flourished his weapon, though 
nothing could have induced him to fire on the 
unarmed man. 

“I was told what to do when I got here,” was 
the reply. 

“Did you see my chums on the way here?” 

The captive nodded. 


100 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


“Where?’^ 

the wreck.” 

^^Where is your boat?” was the next question. 

^^On the other side of the wreck.” 

^^And you are after the gold?” 

'^Of course.” 

^^And important papers?” 

'T know nothing about that.” 

^^What is the name of your boat?” 

'The Shark.” 

"Appropriate name that!” laughed Jimmie. 
"Used to be the Diver, didn’t she?” 

"I don’t know.” 

"What did you come here for?” 

"To get the boat.” 

"And remove it?” 

"Of course.” 

"That would have meant death to the boys 
who are out in the water at this time?” 

"I suppose so. Say, there’s something wrong 
with your air machine. I know something 
about such contrivances, and this one acts as 
if a hose out in the sea had been cut!” 


CHASE ON THE OCEAN FLOOR 101 


CHAPTER X 

A CHASE ON THE OCEAN FLOOR 

Jimmie listened for an instant. There cer- 
tainly was something the matter with the air 
machine. 

^^Get a move on!^’ shouted the captive, ^^or 
we^ll all be food for the sharks directly.’^ 

^^Remain quietly where you are, then,’’ Jim- 
mie said, with a significant flourish at the gun 
which he had no intention of using, except in 
a case of the direst necessity. 

^^Go!” shouted the other. 

Jimmie did not know what to do. While 
he had learned a good deal about the submarine, 
he was by no means an expert in the handling 
of her. His experience with the air machines 
had been very slight, as the boys had made little 
use of them. 

^Tt’s getting close in here already!” cried the 
captive in alarm. ^^Why don’t you do some- 
thing?” 

‘^What is there for me to do?” asked the boy. 

^^Release me and I’ll fix it,” suggested the 
other. 


102 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


Before Jimmie could explain the foolishness 
of this proposition, he heard a pounding at the 
outer door of the water chamber. He bound- 
ed through the open doorway and looked out. 

There was a helmeted face against the pane. 
The boy was motioning for the dcor to be 
opened. 

“Now,’^ mused Jimmie, wonder how he 
got up there? The lifting lines haven’t moved. 
Why didn’t he let me know he was coming up?’^ 

^^Hurry!” called the captive. 

Jimmie knew, from the flounderings on the 
floor, that the fellow was again trying to get 
rid of the rope. He stepped to the door and 
lifted a hand in warning, then slid the bolts 
and guards so the water chamber door would 
open from the outside, then stepped back into 
the larger apartment and closed the door. 

He heard a rush of water and knew that some 
one was entering. Then, satisfied that all was 
well, he turned to his prisoner. 

The fellow was half out of the rope, and one 
hand was sneaking toward a heavy ax which 
lay not far off. 

^^Cut that!” cried the boy. 

He stood guarding the man while the water 
chamber filled and emptied. Then the door 
opened and Ned came in, helmet in hand. First, 


CHASE ON THE OCEAN FLOOR 103 


he turned a screw and the trouble at the air 
machine ceased. 

^^What the dickens 

Ned stopped short in the middle of the room 
as he turned and gazed in amazement at the 
prisoner. 

“IVe been fishinV’ Jimmie explained, with a 
chuckle. 

^^What is it you caught?” asked Ned. 

^This,” said Jimmie, ^^is the original sea 
serpent!” 

^^Looks to me like Moore, Jr.,” Ned said. 

“No?” exclaimed the boy. 

“Are you the son of Captain Moore?” asked 
Ned. 

The other nodded. 

“I thought you^d recognize me,” he grunted. 
“I was a fool to come here.” 

“That’s about the only true word you’ve said 
since you came on board, I take it,” Ned went on. 

Young Moore scowled and bent his eyes to 
the floor. 

Ned now turned to Jimmie and asked: 

“Why didn’t you draw us up?” 

“Why,” replied the little fellow, “I never 
got the signal.” 

“Guess you were too busy getting your sea 
serpent,” smiled Ned. 


104 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^‘Did you pull?’’ asked Jimmie. 

^^Sure. Jack and Frank are out there now, 
ready to beat you up for keeping them out so 
long.” 

The prisoner turned his face away from the 
two and sulked. 

^^There’s the boys now,” Jimmie said. ^Xet 
them in.” 

In ten minutes Jack and Frank were in the 
large room, busily engaged in taking off their 
deep-sea clothes. 

As Frank threw his helmet into a corner he 
held up the end of a line. 

‘Tou see,” he said, glancing angrily at the 
prisoner, who had moved as far away as possible. 
‘^The line was cut.” 

^^Aw, it would have come away in your hand 
when you pulled, then,” said Jimmie. ^^You’d 
have found that out quick enough.” 

tell you it was cut,” Frank insisted. ^Tt 
was cut and tied to a rock that lies at the bottom. 
When we pulled we pulled at the big old boulder 
we saw lying there on the sand. Now, what 
do you think of that?” 

'^Why did you do it?” asked Ned, turning to 
Moore. 

didn’t,” was the reply. 

^mo did?” 


CHASE ON THE OCEAN FLOOR 105 


don’t know.” 
don’t believe you.” 

^There were others besides me,” insisted 
Moore. 

Ned made an examination of the end of the 
three cords. All had been cut. All had been 
tied to something, for the ends were frayed 
as if by being twisted about in the hands. 

‘T presume you thought you were cutting 
the air-hose?” asked Ned, tentatively. 

reckon I know a line from a hose,” was the 
reply. 

^^So you did cut them?” 

Frank sprang toward the prisoner with flash- 
ing eyes. ^T’ll show you what such sneaks get 
here.” 

Ned drew the enraged boy away. 

^^He’U get what’s coming to him at some 
other time,” he said. ^^Let him alone for the 
present.” 

^^But he did attempt to cut the hose!” Jack 
exclaimed. ought to throw him out to 

the sharks.” 

“Not now,” said Ned, coolly. 

“Anyway,” Frank said, a smile showing on 
his face, “he made us swim to the boat.” 

“He did that himself,” laughed Jimmie, “and 
lost his weights.” 


106 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


'That^s the worst of it/’ Jack remarked, 
^VeVe lost our weights, and there’s no know- 
ing how we are to get more.” 

Jimmie now pointed to the air machine. 

^^Was there something wrong with it?” he 
asked. 

Ned shook his head. 

^^Working perfectly,” he said. ^There wasn’t 
a screw loose.” 

“Well, he,” pointing to the prisoner, “said 
there was something wrong, and I began to 
think he was right.” 

“Imagination!” laughed Jack. 

Ned now faced Moore and asked: 

“Have you taken the gold out of the wreck?” 

A shake of the head was the answer. 

“Have you discovered any important papers? 
You know what I mean by ^important.’ ” 

“We have not.” 

“You came in the Diver?” 

“Yes.” 

“Run her across?” 

“No; came on a tow-line.” 

“I thought so. What steamer towed you 
over?” 

“I can’t answer that.” 

“Why?” 

“I’m not permitted to.” 


CHASE ON THE OCEAN FLOOR 107 


was a Japanese boat?” 

^Well, yes, it was.” 

''And she kept you out of sight all the way 
over and dropped you here to do this dirty 
work?” 

"She didn’t put a brass band on board of us,” 
replied the captive, sullenly. "What is the 
meaning of this third degree business? Who do 
you think you are?” 

"Your p)eople know that we are here, of 
course?” 

"Oh, yes, we’re not fools. We saw you from 
the first.” 

"And they know where you started for?” 

"Sure.” 

"Is your father in the Diver?” 

"I refuse to answer any more questions,” 
Moore stormed. "You’ve got the upper hand 
now, but the time will come when things will 
be reversed. Release me!” 

"Of course,” replied Ned, "we’ll release you 
and give you the run of the boat! You came 
here to murder us, and so are entitled to the 
most courteous treatment!” 

"Weil, quit asking impertinent questions, 
then,” snarled the other. "You can at least 
do that.” 

Ned hunted up two pairs of handcuffs, ironed 


108 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


the prisoner, and then conveyed him to a little 
room used fpr storage purposes. Moore did not 
appear to like this program. 

anything should happen,” he declared, 
^T’d be left here to die like a dog.” 

^^And serve you good an^ right!” Jimmie con- 
soled. 

^^What do you expect is going to happen?” 
asked Jack. 

^^Oh, I don’t know,” was the hesitating reply. 
^^Something might, you know.” 

The boys went out and shut the door, leaving 
young Moore protesting against the treatment 
he was receiving. 

^^Now,” Ned said, when the boys were as- 
sembled in the large room, “it is plain that the 
rascals on board the Diver are preparing to 
attack us, or do something to imperil our lives. 
You saw how frightened Moore was when he 
was locked in that room.” 

“Yes, he seems to fear that he will be brought 
to death by his own friends,” Frank said. 

“What do you suggest?” asked Ned. 

“Stay an’ fight!” urged Jimmie. 

“Hide away from them!” Frank proposed. 

“Wait here until we see what they propose 
doing,” Jack ventured. 

“I think,” laughed Ned, “that we’ll bunch 


CHASE ON THE OCEAN FLOOR 109 


your advice and utilize it all. We^ll hide in 
some deep spot until we see what they^re up to, 
and then we^ll fight. 

reckon they are about five to one.^’ 

This from Frank, who preferred meeting the 
enemy on dry land. 

^^Oh, we can^t come to a hand-to-hand battle,’^ 
Ned replied. “WeVe got to fight submarine 
fashion.’’ 

Without attempting any explanation of this 
observation Ned proceeded to make a careful 
inspection of the boat. There was a torpedo 
tube at the prow, and this he studied over for 
a long time. 

^^Goin’ to blow ’em up?” asked Jimmie, 
was thinking,” was the reply, ^^that we 
might use this as a bluff if we come to a tight 
place.” 

^^Aw, what’s the use?” demanded Jimmie. 
^Tou don’t make bluffs! You get the winning 
hand before you call ! If I had my way, I’d blow 
’em out of the water!” 

^^Yes, you would!” Frank said. ^^You’d be 
the first one to kick if we should attempt to 
put that thief in there out of the boat. You’re 
the tender-hearted little child of the bunch!” 

All the boys laughed, including Jimmie, for 
they knew that what Frank said was the truth. 


110 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


Jimmie liked to talk of merciless measures, but 
he was not inclined to put them into practice. 

^^Well/’ Ned said, presently, ^^the Diver 
people will soon understand that something has 
happened to Moore, and will be after us. We 
may as well take a moonlight stroll.^’ 

The water tanks were filled, the power turned 
on, and the Sea Lion, with no lights in sight, 
save the one at the prow from which Frank 
watched the level ahead, began feeling her way 
to the south. 

^The charts show a deep pit not far off,” Ned 
said, ^^and we’ll hide there for a time and see if 
they give up the job of looting the wreck. The 
loss of young Moore may scare them out.” 

“Why not go to the surface and air out the 
boat?” asked Jack. “Our air apparatus is all 
right, of course, but I like the real thing better. 
We can drop down again in a few minutes.” 

“That’s a good idea,” Ned replied, and in a 
moment the Sea Lion was lifting to the surface. 

In half an hour she was down again, dark 
and silent, in the pit of which Ned had spoken. 
Occasionally the submarine was lifted a few 
fathoms in order that anything unusual in the 
vicinity of the wreck might be observed. 

Sometime near morning the Diver was seen 
making her w^ay to the north as if setting out 


CHASE ON THE OCEAN FLOOR 111 


for a long voyage. The lights of the craft 
showed plainly — that is, as plainly as lights 
ever show at that depth — and the Sea Lion had 
no difficulty in following her. 

^^She^s steamin’ up!” Jimmie cried, presently, 
believe she knows we’re after her.” 

But the Sea Lion was equal to the task set 
for her, and all the remainder of the night the 
chase went on. 


112 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


CHAPTER XI 

JIMMIE GOES OUT HUNTING 

hope she’ll make for some port where there 
is an American man-of-war/’ Ned said, as the 
sea grew shallower. 

^^You bet she w^on’t,” Jack replied. “She’ll 
make for some out-of-the-way place where she 
can get rid of her plunder.” 

“Why don’t we go back an’ see if she took all 
the plunder out of the wreck?” asked Jimmie. 

“If we lose sight of her now,” Ned answered, 
“we may have hard work picking her up again. 
If there is anything left in the wreck it will keep. 
The thing to do now is to catch her and recover 
what she took away, then have her held to 
await the action of the Washington authorities.” 

“But we ain’t catchin’ her!” urged the little 
fellow. 

“Well, we are not losing her,” Jack replied, 
“and that is the principal thing.” 

“She may give us a long chase,” Ned went on, 
“for she undoubtedly knows that we are in 
pursuit, so we must get ready to travel over a 
good deal of ocean floor before we get our hands 
on the thieves.” 


JIMMIE GOES HUNTING 


113 


The chase went on all day and all the en- 
suing night. At dawn of the second day the 
Diver ran up into what seemed to be a little 
bay protected by two long points of land. The 
Sea Lion halted outside and waited. Once she 
came to the surface in order to purify the boat, 
and Ned took observations. 

^ Where are we?” Jimmie asked. 

^WeTe here!” laughed Jack. 

“This is all new land to me,” Ned replied. 

Frank clattered down the staircase into the 
bowels of the submarine and brought out a map, 
which he spread out on the floor of the conning 
tower. It was pretty crowded there, with the 
three boys grouped about it, for the hatch was 
still open. 

“WeVe been going north all the time?” he 
asked. 

“Just a trifle east of north,” Ned answered. 

“And weVe been running at the rate of about 
twenty miles an hour for 24 hours,” continued 
Frank. “Figure that out.” 

“Not far from 480 miles,” cried Jimmie. 

“Then measure,” Frank continued. “This 
map shows about 400 miles to the inch. Now, 
where would a run of 480 miles bring us?” 

“To the coast of Kwang Tung,” suggested the 
little fellow. 

“But this is an island,” Ned explained, looking 


114 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


through his glass. can see water where the 
main land ought to be.” 

^Tigure it out, then,” persisted Frank. 
^WeVe come to an island in the China Sea 
by running 480 miles a little east of north. 
Where would that bring us?” 

^^Hailing island,” suggested Jimmie. 

^^Wise little chap!” laughed Frank. ^^YouVe 
hit it!” 

Ned was silent for a moment. He was 
wondering why the Diver, or the Shark as she 
was now appropriately called, had put in there. 
Could it be that she was expecting to be met 
there by some vessel commissioned to remove 
the plunder she had taken from the wreck? 

Or was it true that the plot had included a 
hiding of the plunder on the shore and the de- 
livery of the documents — if any had been found 
— to some official of the accusing power? 

These thoughts were disquieting. The boy 
had already missed the opportunity of search- 
ing the wreck in advance of all others, though 
the fault was not his own. The best he could 
do now was to secure the plunder from the 
pirates who had removed it. 

In case assistance came to the people of the 
rival boat at that distant point, he would not 
be able to do this. The conspirators might 
hide the gold in the country near the port and 


JIMMIE GOES HUNTING 


115 


deliver the papers and he would be powerless 
to prevent. 

wonder/’ he mused, anything can be 
gotten out of young Moore? It is possible that 
he has been in solitary confinement long enough 
to comb down that sneering attitude.” 

Leaving the boys on the conning tower, there- 
fore, he hastened to the room where Moore was 
incarcerated, although the irons had been re- 
moved from his hands and feet. 

“Well,” snarled the young man,' “you’ve come 
to the jumping off place, have you?” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“You’ve chased the Shark to her lair, eh?” 
Moore added, with a leer. 

“How do you know that we’ve been chasing 
the Shark?” demanded Ned. 

“Oh, you wouldn’t be running full speed 
unless you were after her.” 

“How do you know that we’re not in Hong- 
kong harbor, ready to communicate with Wash- 
ington and an American man-of-war?” 

Ned thought the fellow’s face turned a shade 
whiter as the suggestive words were spoken. 
However, he said nothing. 

“Do you know where we are, if, as you seem 
to think, we have followed the Shark?” asked 
Ned. 

“How should I know?” 


116 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


Moore had evidently reached the conclusion 
that he had said too much at the opening of the 
conversation. 

'^You know where the Shark was headed for?” 
asked Ned. 

^^She’s headed for a place where you can’t 
butt in on her,” answered the young man with 
a snarl. ^'When are you going to turn me loose? 
Aw, what’s the matter with you?” he con- 
tinued, assuming an air of good-fellowship. 

never did anything to you. Why can’t 
you let me go, and say nothing about it?’ 

'^Because,” Ned answered, ^^you are a danger- 
ous person to be at large. The next time you 
attempt to murder the crew of a submarine you 
may have better luck.” 

^^Well, you keep right on,” Moore scowled, 
‘'and you’ll come to a place where there’ll be no 
such word as luck in your dictionary. You 
might save yourself now by letting me go.” 

"You’re a snake,” cried Ned. "I wouldn’t 
trust you with the life of a rat I cared for. Such 
people as you ought to be smothered at birth.” 

"Pile it on, now that you have the inning,” 
said Moore. "Pretty soon you’ll be playing 
second fiddle.” 

Ned went out of the temporary prison and 
locked the door without further talk. He had 
gained the point he sought. 


JIMMIE GOES HUNTING 


117 


Nothing could be clearer, now, than that the 
Shark was to meet fellow conspirators there. 
The boy was up against a tough proposition. 

He believed that the Shark had secured the 
important papers. She would hardly have left 
the wreck without them. 

The gold did not matter so much, yet he did 
not like the idea of his rival taking it out from 
under his very nose. He did not believe that 
all the gold had been secured, and figured that 
the Shark would go back after the remainder — 
but not until the important papers had been 
delivered to the conspirators. 

In order to clear her skirts of the false ac- 
cusations being whispered through foreign court 
circles, the Government must get possession of 
those documents. Ned had no idea where they 
were, where they had been stored, but he be- 
lieved that, somewhere in the shipment of gold, 
full instructions for its use had been given. 

The papers might have been tucked away 
in a keg or package of gold coins. At least 
they would have been placed where the revolu- 
tionary leaders could find them, and where the 
Chinese federal officers could not — or would not 
be apt to — find them in case the plans of the 
conspirators failed in any way. 

It struck Ned as a crude arrangement from 
start to finish. The idea of shipping gold to the 


118 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


Chinese government in such a way that the 
revolutionary leaders were sure to seize it looked 
too childish for diplomats to entertain. The 
fact that it had miscarried was proof that it 
was not well conceived. 

A certain foreign nation, put wise to the con- 
spiracy, had sent a ship out to ram the gold 
bearing craft, and there she lay at the bottom of 
the China Sea, with all sorts of rumors con- 
cerning her cargo and mission circulating through 
Europe — greatly to the loss of Uncle Sam’s 
reputation as a square-dealing old chap. 

Ned had no doubt that the foreign govern- 
ment which was kicking up the most noise over 
the affair had sent the Shark to the China Sea 
to search for the papers in the hope that they 
would bear out the accusations that had been 
made. In case they did not the papers would 
doubtless be destroyed — and the charges would 
continue to be made — the charges that the 
subtreasury in New York had shipped the gold 
to aid the revolutionary junta in making a 
republic of China. 

So it will be seen that Ned was in no position 
to give further attention to the wreck, or the 
gold it might or might not contain until he had 
done everything in his power to secure the 
papers, if any had been found, before they could 
be destroyed or delivered. 


JIMMIE GOES HUNTING 


119 


And now the question was this: 

^^How can I get to the Shark and have a look 
through the plunder taken from the wreck?” 

The decision was that he could not accom- 
plish such a mission. It would be impossible 
for him to board the Shark, or make a search 
even if he should succeed in getting into the 
rival submarine. 

What next? The men on board the Shark 
would undoubtedly go ashore if the boat re- 
mained long in the bay. Why not land and 
watch about the island for the arrival of the 
foreign conspirators? 

The island was not a large one, and there were 
few inhabitants, so a meeting such as Ned be- 
lieved was set for 'the place could not fail to 
attract some attention. Well, the first thing 
to do, he reasoned, was to discover if the Shark 
was sending her men on shore. 

^^Jimmie,” he said, as he returned to the 
conning tower, ^^how would you like to go hunt- 
ing in the bottom of the sea?” 

“Fine!” shouted the lad. 

“Bring in a catfish with a bunch of kittens,” 
Frank laughed. “I^m afraid we have, mice in 
the provision room.” 

“IT find a dogfish with a couple of puppies,” 
replied Jimmie, “so we can have plenty of bark 
to build fires with.” 


120 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


bad joke/’ Frank replied. ‘Tf you’d 
quit studying up slang and read the best authors 
you wouldn’t inflict such pain-giving jolts.” 

^^Who’s going with the kid?” asked Jack, 
sticking his nose up through the open hatchway. 

'T am,” replied Frank, calmly. ^Tt is not 
safe to trust him on the island alone.” 

^'What do you want me to hunt?” asked 
Jimmie, turning his back on the two boys. 

^information.” 

can get that in a book,” said Jimmie, with 
a wink at Frank. 

^^Get into your promenade suit,” Ned con- 
tinued, ^^and I’ll let you out on the bottom. 
Then I’ll warp the Sea Lion around that point 
of land, so you can see where the Shark lies 
and what is going on, if anything.” 

“Carry me around the point of land before 
you drop me,” suggested the little fellow. 

“No,” Ned answered. “I want you to search 
the ocean floor on the way around the point. 
The rascals may have laid mines there, or the 
people on board may be making trips to the 
point, just to see what we are up to. Under- 
stand?” 

“Oh, yes, I see the point, all right,” was the 
reply. “And you want me to go out in the wet 
and inspect another point?” 

“Cut it out!” cried Jack. 


JIMMIE GOES HUNTING 


121 


Jimmie ran off, laughing, to put on his deep- 
sea suit, and in a moment was back asking 
Ned to set his helmet in place. 

^^When you get down to the bottom,^’ Ned 
said, before attaching the heavy headpiece, 
^^keep hold of your lifting line and signal stop 
or forward, just as you find it easy or difficult 
to make your way along the level. One jerk 
for stop and two to go ahead. You won’t for- 
get that. Think of the signals on the surface 
cars in little Old New York.” 

^^And keep your eyes out for signs of air-hose 
and lines on the bottom,” Frank put in. 

^^All right,” the boy cried, cheerfully. 

^^You have a long air-hose and a very long 
line,” Ned went on, '^so you can go up the bay 
where the Shark lies quite a distance after we 
stop the Sea Lion at the point.” 

The helmet was now put on, the lad passed 
through the water chamber, and directly there 
came a signal on the line — two quick jerks. 

The submarine moved slowly ahead, and 
Jimmie almost crawled on the bed of the ocean. 
The water was not very deep, not more than 
ten fathoms, and the bright sunlight enabled 
the boy to see quite well. 

Fishes, large and small, sea reptiles, hideous 
in aspect and attractive as to coloring, swam 
around him, and terrifying forms rose from the 


122 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


bottom and rubbed against his helmet windows. 
He felt safer on the bottom, for then the crea- 
tures could come at him in only one way. 

Presently the sand in front of him showed 
commotion. It stirred and clouded the water. 
Jimmie stopped and looked, drawing his weapon 
• — the razor-pointed steel bar — to the front as he 
did so. Then he felt something close about 
an ankle and draw him down. A serpent’s head 
showed on a level with his shoulder. 


JACK MAKES A DISCOVER 


123 


CHAPTER XII 

JACK MAKES A DISCOVERY 

Ned said, when the Sea Lion stopped 
in response to a quick pull from below, “who 
is going to shore with me?^^ 

“Me for the shore!” 

Both boys spoke at once. 

“But one must remain on board,” declared 
Ned. 

“Then let Frank stay,” laughed Jack. 
“Somehow, I always get into trouble when I 
am left on guard.” 

Frank looked disappointed, but said nothing, 
and N ed and J ack prepared to go ashore. When 
they were ready the submarine was carefully 
raised so that the conning tower was out of 
water. 

The boys did not know, while they were doing 
this, that the signal to stop was an involuntary 
one on the part of the boy who was exploring 
the ocean floor. They did know, however, that 
Jimmie had a very long air- and signal-system, 
and that under ordinary circumstances it could 
do no harm to lift the Sea Lion to the surface. 


124 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


The exact effect of this action on the little 
fellow will be seen in a short time. 

When the conning tower was out of water, 
the point showed still ahead of the submarine, 
and Ned wondered why Jimmie had ordered 
a halt there. In one way this was an advantage, 
as the people at the head of the bay, if any were 
there, would not be able to see what was going 
on at the spot where the Sea Lion lay. ^ 

As soon as the hatch was opened Ned and 
Jack brought up a small boat and launched it. 
It was a narrow boat and seemed almost too 
small to carry two husky boys, but she was 
capable of harder service than that. 

“Keep a sharp watch for the line,’’ Ned 
warned, as they left Frank looking sadly over 
the rim of the tower. “Jimmie would be in a bad 
box down there if you should forget him.” 

“All right !” Frank answered, cheerfully. “I’ll 
take care of the little scamp, but I don’t believe 
there is water enough in the ocean to drown 
him!” 

The boys, paddling the boat softly, proceeded 
to the west of the point of land near which the 
Sea Lion had stationed herself. Ahead of them 
they saw a sloping shore, running white and 
smooth as to surface for some distance from the 
water. Then, at the back, rose a line of wooded 
hills. There were no natives in sight. 


JACK MAKES A DISCOVERY 125 


like to know what kind of people live 
on this island,” Jack said as they landed and 
drew the boat up on the beach. ‘^Whoever 
they are, they don^t appear to have houses.” 

They crossed the white rim of beach, keeping 
their eyes on the boat as they advanced, and 
came to an elevation in the wild country be- 
yond. From this elevation a small clearing 
showed to the east, and in the clearing were a 
number of buildings, some residences of a poor 
type and some evidently erected for business 
purposes. 

“There,” Ned said, pointing, “if we could 
get down into the cluster of buildings, with an 
interpreter, we might find out whether the 
Shark fellows have landed yet, and whether 
there are strangers loitering about the island.” 

“Yes,” Jack answered, “the place is so small 
that any strange faces would be instantly noted. 
Suppose I skip down there and see what I can 
learn?” 

“I think that a good idea,” replied Ned, 
“only you’re such a reckless chap that you’re 
likely to get into trouble.” 

“I’ll be the good little lad,” laughed Jack. 
“You remain here and see that no one steals 
the boat while I size up that burg.” 

Jack was off, creeping through the under- 
growth, before Ned could utter a warning, and 


126 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


the latter sat down to wait for his return. The 
cluster of buildings was not very far away, and 
Jack could not be gone very long. 

Ned was pretty well satisfied with the ar- 
rangements made to corner the men who had 
plundered the wreck. With Jimmie watching 
operations from the bottom and Jack investi- 
gating from the land, it seemed to him that 
the robbers could not well make any important 
move without being observed. 

In the meantime Jack was making his way 
toward the little town, if such it may be called, 
at the head of the bay. He could see people 
moving about in the one lane-like street, but 
there was no one nearer him than that — as he 
at first believed. 

Presently, however, he heard a low whistle, 
coming, apparently, from a thicket just ahead. 
It seemed to be an amazed whistle, at that, and 
Jack paused in wonder. 

Who could it be? If any of the people on the 
Shark had come onto the island they certainly 
wouldnT be whistling to attract his attention. 

More likely, he thought, they would be lying 
in wait for him with a gun. What he hoped 
was that some American, familiar with the island 
and friendly with the natives, had strayed into 
the thicket. 

Jack whistled in reply and then stepped back 


JACK MAKES A DISCOVERY 127 


out of sight. He had an idea that he wanted 
to see the other fellow first. 

Before long a voice came out of the thicket, 
a voice which might have come from a tenement 
on Thompkins Square, in the city of New York. 

^^Vot iss?’’ were the words Jack heard. 

^^Show yourself!’^ commanded Jack. 

^Ty schimminy,^’ came the answer, ^^you gif 
me in the pack one, two, dree pain. What?^’ 

^^Youhe Dutch!’’ said Jack. 

^^Chermany!” corrected the other. ^^Come 
aliddle oudt.” 

Jack stepped out of the shelter and soon saw 
a boy of about seventeen do likewise. The boy 
was short, round, fat, muscular, and big and 
red of face. He was dressed in a checkered 
suit of ready-mades which did not fit him, and 
his blond head was covered with a cap such as 
German comedians use on the stage. 

^^Hello, Dutch!” Jack called out. 

^Trish!” exclaimed the other. 

Jack threw out his right hand in full salute, 
wondering if the German boy was a member of 
the Boy Scout army, and was pleased to see 
him make an awkward attempt to respond. 

got it my headt in,” the German said, ^^but 
I can’t get it oudt. It shticks. Vot is? I’m 
the Owl Padrol, Philadelphia.” 

one from Philadelphia ever does remem- 


128 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


ber/^ laughed Jack. ^What are you doing 
here?” 

The boy took himself by the back of the 
trousers with his right hand and by the back 
of his neck with the other, then bounced himself 
forward, as if being thrown out of a vessel or 
a building. 

^‘You mean that you got fired off a ship here?” 
asked Jack, almost choking with laughter. 

^^You bet me I didt!” exclaimed the other. 
“I hidt in a lifeboad to get me pack to Gott’s 
goundry, an’ they foundt me. Shoo! Kick! 
Den I schwim! Gott un himmel! Vot a goun- 
dry!” 

^^Where did you get aboard the ship?” asked 
Jack. 

“Hongkong.” 

“What’s your name?” 

“Hans Christ ensohnstopf — ” 

“Never mind the rest of it,” laughed Jack. 
“I’ll call you Hans. How long have you been 
here?” 

Hans ran his hands around his waist as if 
cou^iting time by the number of meals he had 
missed. 

“Month,” he finally said. 

“Where are you stopping?” 

Hans explained that there was one English 
trader in the place, and that he was giving him 


JACK MAKES A DISCOVERY 129 


about half what he needed to eat and a place 
to sleep in return for about ten hours work each 
day. 

^^Do you^ant to get away?” asked Jack. 

^^Aindt it?” cried Hans. think I^m foolish 
to stay here. You schwim here?” 

Jack knew that it would take a long time to 
make Hans understand the means of transpor- 
tation he had used in reaching that part of the 
world, so he merely shook his head and went on : 

^^If you’ll do something for me, Hans, I’ll 
take you off the island.” 

^^Me — sure!” was the quick reply. 

Jack then explained that he wished to know 
if there were any strangers in the town, and 
if anything had been seen of the submarine 
people. Hans listened attentively. 

‘^I’U remain here until you come back,” Jack 
said, after concluding his instructions. ^^Get 
the information and I’ll take you off the island 
and land you in Philadelphia.” 

^^Sure!” cried Hans, and disappeared from 
view in the thicket. 

Jack lay a long time watching the sky and 
listening to the singing leaves about him. He 
wished that he had instructed Hans to return 
to the place where he had left Ned and gone 
there himself to await the informa^n he sought. 
The time passed heavily on his hands. 


130 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


Once he moved out to the place where he had 
entered the thicket and looked down toward 
the spot where Ned was. There was a certain 
amount of companionship in that. He did not 
dare leave the thicket entirely, for fear Hans 
would miss him on his return from the village. 

When he returned to his waiting place, after 
this visit, and looked down on the village, 
shimmering in the hot sun, he saw that some- 
thing unusual was going on there. Natives, 
clad in the long skirts worn by many Chinamen, 
were flying up and down the street, and Jack 
recognized three Europeans mixing into the 
excitement. 

Then he saw people running toward the little 
wharf at the head of the bay. Hans did not 
appear to be within the range of Jack’s vision. 

‘There are doings of some kind down there,’’ 
Jack mused, “and it seems to me that the for- 
eigners created the row, whatever it is. I 
wonder if Hans will get out of it alive?” 

The next moment Hans was there to answer 
for himself. 

Jack saw the German lad chasing through 
the undergrowth as if the very Old Nick was 
after him, swinging his cap as he ran, and shout- 
ing out some words which he could not under- 
stand. 

Finally Hans turned square about, pointed 


JACK MAKES A DISCOVERY 131 


in the direction from which he had come, and 
resumed his flight toward Jack. 

‘^1 guess some one is chasing the boy,’^ Jack 
concluded, stationing himself close to a slender 
path which Hans was certain to follow. 

In a moment the wisdom of this remark and 
this arrangement became apparent . Hans came 
nearer, puffing and grunting, and a second after 
a runner who was gaining on the German shot 
around an angle of undergrowth and reached 
out for Hans. 

Hans had passed the spot where Jack crouched 
by this time, and the pursuer was proceeding 
to foot it after him when Jack stuck out a leg 
and brought him to the ground. Hans saw 
the action and fell flat on the ground, blowing 
like a fat man on a thousand-step climb. 

The man who had fallen, apparently an Eng- 
lishman, middle aged, well dressed for that 
country, and with a red, passionate face, sat up 
and scowled at Jack. 

‘Wot the bloomin^ mischief did ye do thot 
f^r?’’ he asked. 

“To stop you,’’ replied Jack. 

“You’re bloody roight ye stopped me!” cried 
the other, trying to get on his feet. “An’ now 
I’ll be stoppin’ of ye!” 

Jack placed hisTiand on the man’s shoulder 
and pushed him back to the ground. 


132 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^'Rest yourself/^ he said. 

^^You just wait, you bounder threatened 
the Englishman. 

^^What’s it all about?^^ asked Jack, as Hans 
arose and cautiously approached. 

^^Don^t let that bloody robber get away!^^ 
shouted the Englishman, trying once more to 
get up. 

Jack presented his automatic, which he would 
not have used under any circumstances, unless 
his life was actually in danger. 

^^Keep quiet,^’ he said. 

‘T^ll have your head for this!’’ bawled the 
other. 

^^What is it, Hans?” asked Jack, paying no 
attention to the threat of the angry English- 
man. 

“I’ll tell you what it is!” cried the English- 
man. “That Dutch bounder stole from my 
safe. I chased him up here an’ you took oc- 
casion to hinterfere, worse luck. Who are you, 
anyhow?” 

“Did you steal anything from him, Hans?” 
asked Jack. 

Hans shook his head. 

Then explanations settled the trouble. A 
man from the submarine had met another at the 
trader’s store. Hans, in his anxiety to hear 
what was being said, had crawled in behind a 


# 


JACK MAKES A DISCOVERY 133 


counter, near the safe, and had been discovered 
there. 

The event had created no little excitement 
in the town, for the chase through the street 
had been witnessed by and participated in by 
about half the population. To satisfy the 
Englishman, Hans was searched, and nothing 
found. Then Ned asked him a question: 

^^Where did the submarine people go?^^ 

^^Back to their boat,’’ was the prompt reply. 

^^And the man who met them there?” 

^^He went with them.” 

^^Where did the latter come from?” 

^Trom Hongkong, he said.” 

^^How long ago?” 

^^Something over a week.” 

^^He was waiting for the submarine?” 

'T think so.” 

^^What, if anything, did the submarine land?” 

^^Nothing at all.” 

^^You are certain of that?” 

^^Oh, yes, of course. The submarine man 
brought some sealed papers with him, and the 
discussion was all about them. The submarine 
man wanted money, I guess, and the other 
wouldn’t give it.” 

^^So the submarine people still have the pa- 
pers?” 

^Tes.” 




134 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^^But the other man went on board?^^ 

^^Yes, that is the way of it/’ 

^^Do you know who that Hongkong man is?” 
^^He is an Englishman.” 

^^Now,” said Jack, wish you would come 
down to the beach with me. I have a friend 
there I want you to talk with.” 

The Englishman, seeing that something in- 
teresting was in the air, went without objection, 
but when they reached the beach they saw Ned 
making for the Sea Lion in the boat. And 
just before he reached her, they saw the conning 
tower disappear beneath the surface of the water. 


JIMMIE DEMANDS A MEDAL 135 


CHAPTER XIII 

JIMMIE DEMANDS A MEDAL 

Jimmie^s first thought, as he saw the flattened 
head of the sea monster sliding upward toward 
his helmet, was that he had encountered the 
original sea serpent. There seemed to be a 
coil about the boy^s leg, and he dropped down 
lower to see what the chances were for cutting 
it away with his weapon. 

The prospects did. not seem favorable, for 
his steel bar, while very sharp at the point, was 
not intended for chopping work. He could 
pierce the body of the reptile, but could not 
weaken its strength so that the coil would drop 
away. 

It was when he dropped down that the spas- 
modic jerks on the line were given. The sea 
monster had included the line in his coil, and it 
drew as the boy bent lower. 

The air-hose seemed to be clear, but Jimmie 
was afraid that the flounderings of the serpent 
might break it. The horror was certain to do 
some thrashing about when he felt the keen 
edge of the steel. 


136 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


The only way was to strike some vital spot. 
That would end the combat at once. The 
serpent^s head lowered with the boy, as if 
he had great curiosity to find out exactly what 
sort of a being it was that had invaded his 
kingdom. 

The boy was cheered by the thought that the 
submarine had stopped, although he did not 
realize at the time that the signal had been 
given by the action of his enemy. If the boat 
had continued on her course, the air-hose and 
the lifting line must both have been broken in 
a short time, as the boy’s progress was stopped 
by the great weight of his terrifying foe. Then 
the end would have come instantly. 

The coil about the leg was drawing tighter 
now, and the boy was in considerable oain. Also 
the coils were ascending as the head of the sea 
monster swung around. 

It was not only the pain and the deadly danger 
that brought a momentary shiver to the boy. 
It was the fact that the repulsive body of the 
serpent was winding closer and closer about 
him. 

He seemed to feel the slimy skin of the deep 
sea terror slipping through his waterproof suit, 
although his common sense told him that such 
could not be the case. He even thought he 


JIMMIE DEMANDS A MEDAL 137 


scented the sickening odor which he had now 
and then experienced in the Central Park Zoo. 
He knew, too, that this was purely imaginary, 
but the horror of a nightmare was on him, and 
for only an instant he lost his nerve. 

Once more the head swung around and the 
boy presented his weapon and struck with all 
his might. The needle-like point entered the 
throat of the serpent and passed through just at 
the back of the long, spotted head. 

There was a great switching in the water for 
an instant, and then the coils loosened. The 
blow, as Jimmie afterwards discovered, had 
broken the spinal cord. 

While not yet dead, the serpent was incapable 
of moving the lower part of his body. With 
a sense of loathing he pulled at the coils until 
he was clear of them. 

The water where he stood was now taking 
on a faint reddish hue, and Jimmie hastened 
away. At first, weakened and shaken as he was 
by the disgusting encounter, he determined to 
return to the submarine, then the thought of 
what his chums would say to him if he gave up 
caused him to proceed in the direction of the 
Shark. 

He moved over the level bottom, looking for 
lines which would indicate that the Shark 


138 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


people were out watching the movements of 
their rival, but found none. When he came to 
the end of his line he signaled for the submarine 
to go ahead. 

In this manner, by slow degrees, and always 
keeping his eyes out for creatures similar to the 
one he had vanquished, he advanced until he 
saw the bulk of the Shark only a short distance 
away. Then he called for a stop. 

He remained there some moments, watch- 
ing the Shark lift to the surface. Then a dark 
object passed shoreward, and the boy was 
certain that a boat had been sent to the little 
wharf. 

guess that will be about all,’’ he thought. 
^T’ve secured the information Ned wants, and 
may as well go back.” 

To tell the truth, he was delighted at the 
thought of getting out of the water again. His 
encounter with the serpent had considerably 
lessened his enthusiasm for deep-sea work. 

The Sea Lion dropped down when Jimmie 
gave the signal, and he was soon in the water 
chamber, where he found Frank in sea dress. 
The two were out of the water in a short time, 
with the chamber empty again. 

^What did you do that for?” asked Jimmie, 
as soon as the helmets were removed. 


JIMMIE DEMANDS A MEDAL 139 


what?’^ asked Frank, with a smil 

'^Drop down and wait for me in the water 
chamber/^ 

^^Did you notice the color of the water?’^ 
asked Frank. 

^^Yes, down there, but up here — say,” he 
added, ^^the blood of that champion sea serpent 
never got to the surface, did it?” 

^^Just enough of it to cause me to think a 
shark was making a meal down there,” replied 
Frank. 

Jimmie told the story of the encounter, laugh- 
ing at the peril which was past, but Frank 
looked grave. 

^^Wedl have to be more careful how we wander 
about on the bottom of the sea,” he said. ^^It 
was just luck that brought you out alive. You 
might wound a serpent a hundred times with 
that steel bar and never again strike a vital 
spot.” 

“Then,” Jimmie laughed, “when we get back 
to New York you put in a claim for a Car- 
negie medal for me! It would look fine on the 
front of me hat.” 

“I^U have Ned make you a medal out of a 
fishes fin,” laughed Frank. 

“All right!” cried Jimmie. ,Tt will be all 
right, just so it is a medal.” 


140 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


Then Jimmie told of what he had seen in the 
vicinity of the Shark, and Frank complimented 
him on his courage and good judgment in keeping 
down until he had secured the desired informa- 
tion. 

^‘We know now,” he said, ^That the Shark 
people are communicating with the shore. Per- 
haps Ned and Jack will learn just what they are 
doing there. If they do, we shall know just 
what course to pursue.” 

“What^s the answer?” asked the little fellow. 

^^Why, if the Shark people dispose of the 
documents — if there were any documents in the 
plunder — we J1 have to chase after the men who 
take them. The gold doesnT count.” 

^^Yes,” laughed Jimmie, '^and I suppose well 
leave the Sea Lion and go over the mountains 
in an open boat! I’m goin’ to stick to the little 
old Sea Lion.” 

^^Well,” Frank remarked, after a short wait, 
'Ve must get back to the spot where Ned left 
us.” 

^^Never thought of that!” Jimmie cried. ^^He 
may be yelling his head off because he can’t 
come on board.” 

The boys lost no time in getting back to the 
first position, and then lifted to the surface. 
The conning tower, as before, was out of sight 


JIMMIE DEMANDS A MEDAL 141 


of anyone on the bay, the point of land inter- 
vening. 

As the time passed the boys became anxious 
about Ned and Jack. They might have re- 
turned while the Sea Lion was away, they 
thought, and gone into the interior thinking 
that some accident had happened to the sub- 
marine. 

^^Anyway,’’ Jimmie declared, ^'Ned told us 
to move along as my line gave out, and he must 
know that we^d come back to pick him up.” 

While the lads speculated on the possible 
outcome of the visit to the shore there came a 
sharp collision which keeled the Sea Lion over 
to port. Buth were active in an instant. 

^That^s the Shark!” exclaimed Jimmie. 

^Tt must be,” Frank agreed. 

Jimmie hastened to the stern and looked out 
of the plate glass panel there. 

^What do you see?” asked Frank, nervously. 

^Tt is the Shark, all right,” was the reply, 
^^and she is backing off. She may be going to 
ram us.” 

“Then iFs us for the bottom,” cried Frank. 

“Why the bottom?” asked Jimmie. 

Frank did not answer for a moment. He was 
still standing back of the little fellow and look- 
ing over his shoulder, out of the glass panel. 


142 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^ ^Because/ ^ he said, ^‘the Shark takes chances 
in bumping us at a considerable depth. She 
is higher than we are, and her prow sits a great 
deal above our vulnerable parts. If she strikes 
us when we are nestling on the bottom, her 
blow will glance off.^’ 

she knows it, then,’’ Jimmie said, ^‘she 
won’t follow us down. What will she do?” 

^^Chase herself off.” 

hope so!” cried Jimmie. 

‘‘It beats the Old Scratch why Ned and Jack 
don’t come,” Frank said, presently. “I’m afraid 
something has happened to them.” 

^ There is no use of their staying ashore,” 
Jimmie said, ^ffor I found out what Ned wanted 
to know. He asked me to find out if the Shark 
communicated with the shore, and I did it. 
He ought to know I wouldn’t fall down on a little 
thing like that,” the boy added, with a grin. 
“I’m the only original snake charmer!” 

While this sharp exchange of ideas had been 
going on, Frank had been working the various 
levers which controlled the altitude of the sub- 
marine, and the gauge showed that she was 
close to the bottom as the last word was spoken. 

Jimmie turned away from the panel and 
caught hold of a railing which ran alojig in front. 

^Took out for the bumps!” he cried! 


JIMMIE DEMANDS A MEDAL 143 


Then there came a shock which threw both 
boys off their feet. The staunch craft shivered 
for an instant, then righted, swaying just a little 
under the heavy pressure of the depth she was 
in. 

Frank sprang to the delicate machinery which 
controlled the air supply and the lights. No 
harm seemed to have been done to them. 

“The Shark canT do that again!” Jimmie 
said, with a sigh of relief. “We^re on the bottom 
now, and her prow would slip over our back. 
The only mischief she would do would be to 
knock off our conning tower, and that would not 
disable us.” 

“Can you see her now?” asked Frank. 

“Sure,” replied the boy. “Her lights are on.” 

“What is she doing?” 

“Rolling on the bottom. Say, ^bo, I believe 
she hurt herself when she tried to soak us.” 

The ex-newsboy moved away from the panel 
and Frank took his place as lookout. 

“She^s crippled, all right,” the latter said, 
after a moment^s inspection of their rival, “but 
I canT see what^s the matter.” 

“Course you canT. The hurt^s on the inside.” 

“Anyway, she doesnT seem to be able to 
move. I know she is trying to get off by the 
way the water changes around her stern.” 


144 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^^Bump her!’’ advised Jimmie. 

reckon that would settle her,” Frank re- 
plied, ^^but I’m not in the pirate business just 
now.” 

The boys watched the Shark for half an hour 
or more, and then saw her move slowly away. 

^^She’s going toward Hongkong,” Frank said, 
^^and we may as well bid her good-by.” 

^^Not!” exclaimed Jimmie. “We’ve got to 
follow her.” 

“And leave Ned and Jack?” 

Jimmie’s jaw fell. This was something he had 
not thought of. The boys were still on the 
island — might be in great peril. 

“Well, jump up to the surface,” the lad said, 
then, “and I’ll go to the island and see what’s 
up.” 

“Fine chance you’d stand!” laughed Frank. 

“Bet I can go ashore an’ find a Boy Scout!” 
returned Jimmie. “We’ve found ’em in every 
part of the world.” 

The Shark was still in view, her lights creat- 
ing faint mists under the water, but the boys 
did not consider her a formidable opponent 
now, so they lifted to the top of the ocean. 

Jimmie was first out on the conning tower. 
The sun was still shining brightly and the water 
lay as quiet as the surface of a pond on a still 
day. 


JIMMIE DEMANDS A MEDAL 145 


When the boy turned to the white line of sand 
at the rim of the sea he saw Ned and Jack stand- 
ing there with two others. He waved his hat 
and Jack swung back from where he stood. 

^^Guess theyVe found some one worth talk- 
ing with,” Frank remarked, stepping up on the 
conning tower. 

^^Guess they have,” responded Jimmie, ^^but 
there^s some one creeping up to ’em from the 
thicket,” he added, lifting his glasses. ^Xook 
out, boys!” he shouted, waving one hand fran- 
tically. ^^Look out! There’s some one makin’ 
a sneak on you!” 

^They don’t catch what you say!” Frank 
exclaimed. ^^Look there!” 


146 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


CHAPTER XIV 

A BOY SCOUT WITH A ^^PUNCH” 

When Ned saw the conning tower of the sub- 
marine drop out of sight he rowed over to the 
spot where she had gone down and tried to 
look into the depths of the sea. 

The water was fairly clear, and he could see 
two great bulks below instead of one. He knew 
then what was taking place. 

^The Shark is bent on murder,’^ he mused. 
^Terhaps they wouldnT be so ready to sink the 
Sea Lion if they knew that the manager of the 
whole rotten business was a prisoner on her.” 

He could not see clearly, of course, but he 
waited and watched for some moments. Then 
the Shark crashed with the Sea Lion and fell 
off, apparently crippled. 

^^So that^s the reason Frank dropped to the 
bottom!” thought Ned. ^^He knew the Shark 
couldn’t get a good crack at the Sea Lion when 
she lay on the bottom. Wonder if the Shark 
is injured seriously?” 

He watched until the Shark turned to the 
east, curving around the point of land which 


BOY SCOUT WITH A ‘‘PUNCH’' 147 


she had passed to the attack, then turned to- 
ward the shore. Jack was still there, and he 
must find him before nightfall. 

Much to his surprise, he saw Jack, Hans and 
the Englishman, Hamblin by name, watching 
him from the beach. He waved his hat and 
shouted to them, wondering all the time where 
Jack had picked up his acquaintances. In five 
minutes he was on the beach. 

^Ts this the boy you wanted me to talk with?” 
asked Hamblin, as Ned drew up his boat and 
approached the group. 

“The same,” laughed Jack, “only you mustn’t 
call him a boy! He’s a big man in his own 
country.” 

Hamblin eyed Ned critically for a minute 
and extended his hand. Ned laughed as he 
took it. 

“I’ve met you before!” he said. 

“In a cheap lodging house on the Bowery,” 
said Hamblin. “You were looking for a man 
who had robbed a bank an’ made a run for it.” 

“Exactly,” Ned said. 

“An’ the bloomin’ moocher was in the next 
room to mine, an’ you got him. I was bloody 
well glad to get the five p’un’ note you tipped me 
then. Stone broke I was.” 

“You earned it,” Ned replied. 

“It put me on me legs again,” Hamblin went 


148 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


on. I took ship an’ come out to this 

blasted country. I wish I was on the Bowery 
again, blast me eyes if I don’t.” 

“What are you doing here?” asked Ned. 

“Runnin’ a bloomin’ store an’ scrappin’ with 
the Chinks,” was the reply. “It’s a bally bad 
game, out here.” 

“Rotten!” echoed Hans. 

Hamblin made a break for the German. 

“You thief!” he shouted. 

“Hold on,” cried Jack, “let me tell you about 
it,” and he proceeded to inform the English- 
man of the exact situation of affairs. 

“I thought he was a bloomin’ moocher,” 
said Hamblin, in a moment. “He acted like 
one.” 

“Who is he?” asked Ned of Jack, pointing 
toward Hans, who now sat on the sand with 
his knees hunched up in his hands. 

“That’s Hans,” laughed Jack. 

Hans threw out his hand in Boy Scout salute. 

“Owl Padrol, Philadelphia!” he said. 

“Looks like an Owl, eh?” asked Jack. 

“He is an Owl!” roared the Englishman. 
“He works for me, an’ he wants to sleep all day 
an’ sit up all the bloomin’ night. He’s an Owl 
all but the wise look.” 

“You loaver!” cried Hans, well knowing that 
Hamblin would not be permitted to attack him 


BOY SCOUT WITH A “PUNCH’^ 149 


again. ^^You starf mine pelly! You put bugs 
to sleep in mine ped! How should the nights 
get me sleep when the ped is one processions of 
pugs?’^ 

Jack now called Ned aside and told him of 
the meeting of the conspirators at the 'Hamblin 
store, of the sealed packet, and of the seeming 
quarrel, as described by Hans. Ned turned to 
the Englishman. 

“They met there by appointment,^^ he asked, 
“the man from the Shark and the man who 
waited for him?’’ 

“Yes, by appointment.” 

“It was about papers?” 

“Yes, and gold.” 

“Where did the man who waited here come 
from?” 

“Some point in China.” 

Jack gave a low whistle. 

“China!” he cried. “I wouldn’t have be- 
lieved it.” 

“Did you know either of the men who met 
there — ever see either of them before?” asked 
Ned, then. 

“One of them— a Captain Moore, formerly 
of the United States Navy,” was the astonish- 
ing reply. 

“Where had you seen him?” asked Ned, 
motioning to Jack to remain silent. 


1^0 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


first came here on a man-of-war about 
six months ago/’ 

^^Well, the documents were taken back on 
board the Shark, then?” asked Ned. 

^^Yes, I think so.” 

^^You don’t know what the packet contained?” 

^Tapers, they said.” 

^Then it’s all right!” Jack cried. “We can 
now bunch our hits! The papers and the men 
we want are on board the Shark. All we’ve 
got to do is to catch the Shark!” 

Just then the Sea Lion rose out of the ocean 
and they saw Frank and Jimmie waving to 
them. 

“So they’re all right,” Ned said. “A moment 
ago the Shark was ramming them!” 

“Why don’t we go on board, then?” demanded 
Jack. “If there’s going to be a fight on the bot- 
tom I want to be in on it. Bet your sweet life 
I do! Hurry on board!” 

“Look a liddle oudt!” cried Hans at this 
moment. “They say with their hats unt hands 
somedings. Look a liddle oudt!” 

Ned did “look a liddle oudt” just then, and 
saw Captain Moore and a dozen or more natives 
crowding through the thicket, the Captain 
carrying a revolver in a threatening manner. 

“Stand quiet,” the ex-naval officer said. “I 
don’t intend to harm any of you. Especially 


BOY SCOUT WITH A “PUNCH’’ 


151 


you, Mr. Hamblin. I only want to know where 
my son Arthur is.” 

“I haven’t got your son!” blustered Hamblin. 

“Make me a search!” cried Hans. 

“I’m not talking to you two,” snarled the 
Captain. “I’m directing my talk to this sneak,” 
pointing a shaking finger at N ed, whose muscles 
drew under the insult. 

Hans flushed and started forward, but the 
natives closed about the ex-naval officer. 

. “Where is my son?” demanded Moore, flour- 
ishing his gun nervously. 

“Where did you see him last?” asked Ned. 

“That is neither here nor there,” the Captain 
replied. “I want to know what you have done 
with him.” 

“You sent him on a dangerous mission — a 
mission of murder,” Ned said, presently. 

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” 

“You sent him to wreck the Sea Lion.” 

“That is not true. I have not been on board 
the Shark.” 

“Well, some one sent him. Anyway, he came 
on board the Sea Lion and got caught. Now, 
what would you have done under the circum- 
stances? You would have given him a banquet, 
I presume, if he had tried to murder you and 
got caught at it.” 

“I don’t care what he has done,” stormed the 


152 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


Captain. want to know where he is now.’^ 

^^He^s at the bottom of the sea!’^ Jack cut in. 

The Captain staggered and turned a white 
face to the speaker. Ned was about to explain 
by saying that young Moore was at the bottom 
of the sea in the Sea Lion when Moore sprang 
toward him. 

^^You murdered him!^^ shouted the enraged 
Captain. ^^You murdered him, and I’ll have 
your life.” 

He lifted his pistol and fired, but the bullet 
went whistling through the air instead of finding 
the mark intended for it. Hans, seeing the 
peril Ned was in, had stepped forward and landed 
a knock-out blow on the Captain’s jaw. 

^^You leaver!” he shouted, standing over him. 

The natives rushed forward as the Captain 
fell, uttering a jargon which no one understood 
save the trader. Hamblin saw the danger in 
the threatening looks of the fellow’s and sprang 
for the gun, which had dropped from Moore’s 
hand. 

He reached it not a second too soon, for a 
brawmy native was already snatching at it. 
The fellow seized the trader’s wrist as he lifted 
the weapon and uttered a few words in a menac- 
ing tone. 

This was enough for Hans, who stood close 
by, rubbing the bruised knuckles of his right 


BOY SCOUT WITH A “PUNCH’’ 153 


hand. He struck out again, throwing the whole 
weight of his body into the blow. The native 
went down and the others drew away from the 
group about him. 

“Great clip!’’ shouted Jack, as the trader 
threatened the natives with the gun. “You 
seem to be the White Man’s Hope!” 

Hans rubbed the knuckles again and grinned, 
such a bland grin that both Ned and Jack burst 
into laughter. 

“You sure have a punch!” Jack went on. 
“Where did you get it?” 

“Py the verein just,” was the reply. 

“You’re all right, anyhow,” Ned said. 

The trader was now addressing the natives 
in a language — if it was a language — which the 
boys could not at all understand. They noted 
the result of the talk with joy, however, for the 
black-skinned group turned toward the village 
and soon disappeared in the thicket, taking 
the knocked out fellow with them. 

Captain Moore now opened his eyes and 
staggered to his feet. His face was deadly pale 
and his eyes flashed like those of an enraged 
wolf. 

“You shall pay for this!” he shouted. 

“Jack did not finish his sentence when he 
told you that your son was at the bottom of the 
sea,” Ned said, thinking that the deception 


154 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


had gone far enough. ^^He should have added 
that he was safe in the Sea Lion.^’ 

^Then I demand his release!” shouted the 
other. 

can^t bring him to you,” Ned said, ^^but 
1^11 take you where he is.” 

^^And if I refuse to go?” 

^^You^U go just the same.” 
prisoner?” 

^^Certainly — a prisoner charged with piracy 
on the high seas.” 

^^You^re a meddling fool!” roared the Captain. 

Ned paid no attention to the personal abuse 
of the angry man, but turned to Hamblin. 

^‘1 want to talk with you,” he said, ^^but I 
must get this man on board the Sea Lion first. 
You’ll wait here?” 

Before the trader could reply, a shout came 
over the water from the submarine, and a 
column of smoke came out of the open hatch. 

^‘1 guess you’ve got all the trouble on the Sea 
Lion you need there,” snarled Moore, ^ Vithout 
taking me on board. Your ship’s on fire!” 


A DESPERATE PRISONER 


155 


CHAPTER XV 

A DESPERATE PRISONER 

Just as the attention of FranK and Jimmie 
was called to the Captain and the natives 
advancing upon Ned and Jack from the thicket, 
they heard a great beating on a door or wall 
below. There was only one person in the sub- 
marine save themselves, and so they knew that 
it was the captive who was kicking up the row. 

“He knows something unusual has been going 
on,^^ Jimmie observed, “and wants to turn what- 
ever takes place to his own advantage. Suppose 
we go below and see what he^s doing.” 

“He’s frightened hah to death, I take it,” 
Frank surmised. “The two bumps the Sea 
Lion got from the Shark must have given him 
the impression that we had collided with a rock 
or reef.” 

“Serves him right,” Jimmie replied. “He 
ought to be willing to take a little of his own 
. medicine occasionally. He tried to kill us when 
he came on board.” 

The pounding below continued, and the boys 
went down to the door of the room where 


156 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


young Moore was held captive. The noise 
came from within, sure enough. 

“What do you want?” demanded Frank, 
calling loudly so that his voice might penetrate 
the thick door. 

“Let me out!” 

“YouVe got your nerve!” answered Jimmie. 

“Let me out, please!” continued the prisoner. 

“Why?” asked Frank. 

“Open the door and you’ll see,” was the reply. 

Jimmie sniffed at the air in the larger apart- 
ment and pulled Frank by the arm. 

“Smell anything?” he asked. 

“Something does seem queer,” the latter 
replied. 

In a second there was an unmistakable odor 
of burning cloth in the room, and the boys 
began hunting about for the source of it. The 
pounding on the door continued. 

“Open up!” young Moore shouted. “Open 
up if you don’t want to lose your ship.” 

“I’ll bet the fire’s in there,” Jimmie ventured. 
“I’m goin’ to open the door and find out.” 

He turned the key, which was in the lock on 
the outside, and in a second the door was open. 
A burst of smoke shot out into the larger apart- 
ment. 

Through the thick veil of the smoke, in a 
corner of the room, the boys saw a spurt of 


A DESPERATE PRISONER 


157 


flame. It was running along the floor, nipping 
at the fringe on an expensive rug. 

When the door was opened young Moore 
dashed out, as if desiring to pass the two boys 
before they got the smoke out of their eyes. 
Frank caught him by the arm and held him fast. 

By this time the large room where the boys 
stood was well filled with smoke, and Jimmie 
opened every avenue by which it might travel 
to the main hatch in the conning tower. In a 
few moments the interior of the submarine was 
comparatively free from smoke. 

Jimmie took a pail of water from the tap and 
tossed it on the creeping flame in the little 
room. It served its purpose and the danger 
was over. Frank, still holding Moore by the 
arm, pointed to a chair. The young feUow 
seemed to have no notion of taking the seat, 
however, for he made a dash for the hatch, which 
was wide open. 

In order to gain the staircase it was neces- 
sary for him to pass the place where Jimmie 
stood. As he came up to the boy he struck out 
with all his force and continued his flight — for 
a second. 

When the boy saw him getting by, he dropped 
to the floor and seized him by the ankles, with 
the result that both were rolling about in the 
rich rug in no time. 


158 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


to it!” shouted Jimmie, as Moore tried 
to break away from him. ^^Catch him, Frank!” 
he continued, as the stronger man pulled away. 

It was quite a neat little battle, but in the end 
numbers won, and Moore was ornamented with 
the irons once more. 

^Why didn’t you say the boat was on fire?” 
asked Frank. ‘^You might have smothered in 
there.” 

^Wish I had!” gritted Moore. 

‘^Go back and do it over again,” Jimmie 
suggested. ^^You can have all the time you 
want!” 

^^Why didn’t you let us know at first?” in- 
sisted Frank. 

^Well, if you must know,” the captive re- 
plied, was afraid you would extinguish the 
fire by flooding the room, if I told what the 
trouble was. Besides, I thought I could get 
away if you opened the door.” 

^^Did you set the fire?” 

was lighting a cigarette, and — ” 

^That’s enough,” Frank said. ‘^Any one 
who will smoke cigarettes deserves to be burned 
alive. Wish we had flooded the room after you 
got well scorched and left you in it.” 

^^You may wish so before you have done 
with me,” threatened the other. ^T’ll get you 
yet — ^both of you.” 


A DESPERATE PRISONER 


159 


^Well, get back into the den/’ Frank com- 
manded. ^‘We have had about all the lip we 
can stand from you. You tried to murder 
Lieutenant Scott at Mare Island Navy Yard, 
you attempted our lives when you came to this 
boat, and now you set us on fire and attempt to 
run away. You’ve got a long account to settle, 
young man.” 

^^You can bluff now,” Moore retorted, ^^but 
that is all you can do. My father is on the look- 
out for you and that wise guy you call Ned 
Nestor. When you go back, without the gold, 
he’ll get you good and plenty. You know it! 
Now lock me up and go away, for I’m sick of the 
sight of your impudent faces.” 

Jimmie forced the prisoner into his room and 
closed the door. 

^^You’U have to make a supper off that smoke !” 
he called out through the keyhole. “You’re too 
fly a guy to take food to.” 

“I’ll charge it up to you!” came back from the 
den. 

“Nervy chap!” Frank said, as the two boys 
hastened back to the conning tower to see what 
had become of Ned and Jack. 

“Cheekiest fellow I ever saw!” Jimmie 
added. “He reaUy thinks he’s goin’ to give us 
the slip. He really believes we daren’t do a 
thing to him. I’ll show him!” 


160 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


When the boys came in sight of the beach 
again they saw Captain Moore threatening 
Ned with a revolver. Then they saw the 
Captain tumble over on the sand, with the 
German standing over him. 

^^Gee!” Jimmie shouted. ^Trize fight 

^^Looks hke it.’’ 

There was silence in the conning tower for 
a second, then both boys shouted out their 
Joy as they saw Ned and Jack getting the upper 
hand of Moore and the natives. 

^^Now they’ll soon be on board,” Frank ob- 
served, ^^and we’ll find out what they’ve been 
up to.” 

^^Bet they didn’t find out any more than I 
did,” Jimmie cried. ^T’ll bet they had a scrap 
too, and that’s the only thing I wanted that I 
didn’t get.” 

^ ^Wonder who that Dutch-looking fellow is?” 
Frank mused. believe Ned is putting him 
into the boat!” 

^T’U go a dollar to a doughnut that it’s a 
Boy Scout!” laughed Jimmie. ^^Don’t look 
the part, though, does he?” 

^Why do you think it is a Boy Scout?” 

^^Because we’ve always found one. If we 
should go to the North Pole, we’d find one 
there — always busy an’ ready to do a fellow a 
good turn, too. You know it !” 


A DESPERATE PRISONER 


161 


^^And that big fellow, with the paunch and the 
important look seems familiar to me,” mused 
Frank. ^^Don^t you recognize him?” 

^^Sure,” was the reply. ^That is Captain 
Moore. Don’t you remember the bluff he put 
up in the Black Bear clubroom before we left 
little old New York?” 

believe you are right.” 

^Well, we’ll soon know all about it,” said 
the boy. ^^Ned is bringin’ the Captain an’ the 
Dutch guy off to us. Funny you’ll see so many 
rare specimens when you hain’t got no gun!” 

Hans grinned delightedly when he set foot 
on the conning tower of the submarine and 
glanced inquisitively into the interior. His 
round, baby blue eyes protruded in wonder as 
they fell on the comfortably furnished apart- 
ment below. 

^^Jump down, Dutch!” Jimmie laughed. 
^^There is where they make men out of Dutch- 
men. Don’t be afraid.” 

^Tss dot so?” grunted Hans. 'Yell, if mens 
iss madt dere, vy dondt you go pelow?” 

"Good for you, Dutch!” cried Frank. "Hit 
him again. He’s too fresh, anyway.” 

"Where did you get it, Ned?” asked Jimmie. 
"You’ll have to bake it when we get back to 
New York.” 

"Better look out, lad,” Ned replied, "this 


162 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


boy has the kick of a mule in his left. Let him 
alone.’’ 

During this short by-play Captain Moore 
stood scowling on the conning tower, crowded 
close against the boys, for the platform was a 
small one. He now faced Ned angrily. 

“What is the proposition?” he demanded. 

“I have brought you here to see your son,” 
Ned replied. “If you’ll step down the stairs 
I’ll show you where he is.” 

“He ought to be at the bottom of the sea,” 
Frank said, “for he tried to fire the boat.” 

“I have no doubt that he resents his treat- 
ment,” said Moore. “I, myself, would sink 
your craft this moment if it lay in my power.” 

“No doubt of it,” Ned said. “You’ve come 
to the end of your rope, though. All the mischief 
you can do now is to yourself.” 

Moore snarled out some reply intended to be 
exasperating, but which made no impression 
on the boys, and set his feet to the stairs. The 
boys followed him, but the ex-naval officer 
reached the floor first, and, with a bound, 
reached the mechanism which gave forward 
motion to the submarine, the prow of which was 
turned toward the beach. 

Ned sprang forward, but the boat was already 
under motion. It was unquestionably the in- 
tention of the prisoner to wreck her on the beach, 


A DESPERATE PRISONER 


163 


hoping to rescue his son and make his own escape 
in the confusion. 

Moore struck savagely at Ned as he attempted 
to draw him away from the lever, but missed. 
In a second Jimmie had his arms about those of 
the Captain and they went down together. 

Ned leaped to the lever and shut off the power. 
In three minutes more the Sea Lion must have 
been wrecked on the shelving shore. As it was 
she stopped within a few yards of the danger 
line. 

“You^re a pair of murderers!” said Ned, 
coolly, as he seized Moore by the throat and flung 
him into the room where his son was incar- 
cerated. 

Young Moore’s face appeared at the door as 
his father was forced in, and angry words be- 
tween the two followed as the door was closed. 

^There’ll be a social session in there now,” 
laughed Ned. ^^Each one will blame the other 
for the predicament they are in!” 

“Let ’em fight it out,” Jimmie advised, rub- 
bing a bruise on his arm, which had been some- 
what injured in the fall. 

Hans was now gazing about the boat with 
something more than curiosity in his eyes. He 
had observed how quickly the submarine had 
responded to a touch of the lever, and was 
actually wondering if he wasn’t on board one 


164 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


of the magic ships he had read of in the 
nursery. 

^^Sit down outside this door and see that 
nothing more happens in the kick line/’ Ned 
directed, thinking to give the uneasy youth 
something to occupy his mind. “If they get 
the door open, give them one of those left-hand 
jolts.” 

With another glance about the German sat 
down contentedly. Then Ned went to the 
stern apd looked out of the glass panel. 

“Is the Shark still in sight?” asked Frank. 
“Look out to the east and you’ll see her if she’s 
anywhere ^bout.” 

“I’m afraid she’s too far away by this time,” 
Ned replied. 

“Then weM better be moving!” Frank said. 
“I’ll take the boat and go after Jack, then we’ll 
be off.” 

“Don’t lose any time,” advised Ned. 

Frank, accompanied by Jimmie, was off in 
the rowboat in short order, and before long 
Jack was on board. 

“Hamblin, the trader, wants to talk with 
you, Ned,” he said as he came down into the 
cabin. 

“He’ll have to wait until we catch the Shark,” 
Ned said. “I’m afraid we haye lost too much 
time now.” 


A DESPERATE PRISONER 


165 


Jack^s report had shown him that the sealed 
packet was still on the Shark, and it was his 
purpose to keep after the submarine until he 
caught up with her. Just what would take 
place then he did not know, but he was willing 
to take great risks in order to get hold of the 
packet. 

He did not know what it contained, but he did 
know that it was claimed by the enemies of his 
government, that it held papers which, if brought 
out, might smash several international treaties. 
His own belief was that the packet would es- 
tablish the fair dealing of the Washington offi- 
cials, but this was only a matter of opinion. 

While the Sea Lion was dropping down and 
getting under way he talked the matter over 
with Frank. That young man was inclined 
to be rather pessimistic over the matter. 

“If the papers in the packet are of the sort 
you think they are,’’ he declared, “they will 
destroy them before they will permit vou to get 
hold of them.” 

“They might do so only for the fact that this 
is a money-loving world we are living in,” Ned 
declared, with a smile. “Those papers, what- 
ever they are, are worth a lot of cash to some one, 
and they will not be destroyed.” 

The submarine was soon moving swiftly 
through the water, only a few yards from the 


166 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


sandy bottom. The general direction was east, 
toward the harbor of Hongkong. 

Just before the night fell Jack, who was on the 
lookout in front, peering through the glass panel, 
declared that the Shark, or some other sub- 
marine, was in sight. 

^^She’s crippled, too/^ he cried. ^^She ad- 
vances a few paces and then stops. They are 
having all kinds of trouble with her. Just lie 
still a short time, and you ^11 see her mounting 
to the surface.” 

The Sea Lion was brought to a halt, and the 
boys watched the dark bulk ahead with all 
their eyes. Their own boat was dark, but 
directly lights flared out ahead. 

^There she goes to the top!” Jimmie cried. 

^^And there,” exclaimed Frank, ^hs a signal 
from Hans which shows that there^s something 
doing with the prisoners!” 


BLUFF THAT DIDN’T WORK 167 


CHAPTER XVI 

A BLUFF THAT DIDN't WORK 

Leaving the prow, Ned hastened down a 
little passage and came out in the room where 
Hans sat, grinning, before a door behind which 
there was a great commotion. The pounding 
was incessant, and the voices of the prisoners 
came clearly through the solid panels. 

^^Open!” cried the voice of Captain Moore. 
^There’s danger ahead for you. Open the door.’’ 

^^Little he cares for our hides!” Jimmie com- 
mented. ^Tf there was any danger he’d be the 
last one to warn us.” 

“Just a crack,” pleaded Moore. “Just a 
crack, and I’ll tell you what you are facing.” 

Ned opened the door a trifle and saw Moore’s 
face there, looking almost frantic in the strong 
light. 

“Well?” Ned asked. 

“There’s death for us all if you go ahead,” 
the Captain declared. “Stop where you are.” 

“Soh!” grunted the German. 

“Oh, I’m not pretending that I care for your 
rascally lives,” Moore went on, vindictively. 


168 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


kill you all this moment if it lay in my 
power to do so. I’m thinking of my own safety.” 

^ Well?” repeated Ned. ^ What is it?” 

‘The boat you are chasing has dynamite on 
board, and a tube gun. If you go nearer, she’ll 
blow you out of the water.” 

“That’s cheerful,” Jimmie grinned. “Why 
didn’t she do it before?” 

“Probably because she thought to get away. 
I’ve been watching her through the little port 
and I know that she is now waiting for you to 
come up and receive a dynamite ball.” 

“It strikes me,” Ned replied, “that she is, 
halting because her running gear is out of whack. 
She rammed us not long ago and got the worst 
of it.” 

Captain Moore thrust his head close to the 
little opening between the casing and the door 
and almost screamed: 

“Do you mean that she is crippled so that she 
can’t get away from you?” 

“I said that I thought she had injured her- 
seK in trying to destroy the Sea Lion,” was the 
reply. 

“Well, even if she can’t get away,” the Cap- 
tain went on, with a change of expression, “she 
can blow you out of the water.” 

“We’ll have to take our chances on that,” 
Ned replied. 


BLUFF THAT DIDNT WORK 169 


After some further talk, the boy entered the 
room where the prisoners were and closed the 
door, leaving Hans on guard outside. Captain 
Moore frowned as he seated himself by the port. 

^Tt is bad enough to be confined here without 
being obliged to endure your company,’’ he 
said. 

^^What a snake you would have made!” com- 
mented Ned. never saw a fellow loaded to 
the guards with venom as you are. Will you 
answer a few questions?” 

^^Depends on what they are,” was the reply. 

^Tf they will aid you, you will answer them, 
eh?” 

^^Of course.” 

^^And if they will assist me, you won’t?” 

The Captain nodded. 

right,” laughed Ned. ^^Suppose the 
correct answers would help us both? What 
then?” 

^^Oh, what’s the use of all this nagging?” de- 
manded the son. “If you have anything to say, 
say it, and get out.” 

“And you’re a pretty good imitation of this 
other snake,” Ned said, glancing at the young 
fellow. “If you interfere in the talk again I’ll 
put you in the dungeon and forget to feed you.” 

Captain Moore motioned to his son to remain 
quiet. 


170 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


“This cheap Bowery boy has the upper hand 
now,” he said. “Wait until conditions are 
reversed.” 

“Captain,” began Ned, paying no attention 
to the venom of the other, “will you tell me what 
the packet that was rescued from the wreck by 
the pirates under your command contained?” 

“"WTiat packet?” demanded the Captain, sur- 
prise showing on his drawn features. “What 
packet do you refer to?” 

“The mysterious packet you came to this 
part of the world to obtain. You know very 
well what I mean.” 

“We came, under contract, for the gold,” 
was the reply. 

“Yet your boat went away and left most of 
it on the bottom after the packet was dis- 
covered.” 

“She came to this harbor after supplies.” 

“And neglected to secure them!” 

“Well, there was trouble with the trader.” 

“You met a Shark man, on the island?” 

“Of course. I came here to meet him, to 
receive a report as to the success of the expedi- 
tion.” 

“You received such a report?” 

“Yes.” 

“You were told that the gold had been found 
intact?” 


BLUFF THAT DIDN’T WORK 171 


^That is not for discussion here/’ 

‘^You were astonished when your son did 
not make his appearance?” 

“Frankly, yes.” 

“You expected that he would bring you the 
report?” 

“Yes; he was in charge of the Shark.” 

“If he had been in charge when the man 
landed, he would have given you the packet?” 

“If he had had a packet, or anything else 
taken from the wreck, he would have turned it 
over to me.” 

“But the man you met refused to do so?” 

“How do you know what took place?” 

“That is immaterial, so long as I do know. 
Tell, me, what was the difficulty at the store — 
money?” 

The Captain did not answer. 

“Now,” Ned went on, “you stated a moment 
ago that you came here under contract to get 
the gold. Who are your principals?” 

No reply was received. 

“What will the man now in charge of the 
Shark do with the packet he refused to deliver 
to you?” was the next question. 

“He will transfer it to me as soon as we meet 
again.” 

“You are sure of that?” 

“Reasonably sure.” 


172 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


'Then what will you do with it?^^ 

"Anything given to me will be turned over 
to my principals/’ 

"But, suppose the contents of the packet are 
not favorable to your side of the case? Suppose 
they clear the United States Government of 
suspicion?” 

Captain Moore gave a quick start of amaze- 
ment. 

"I don’t know what you are talking about,” 
he said. 

"In that case,” Ned went on, "I presume you 
will destroy the papers? If you can’t entangle 
the Government that fed you so long in some 
trouble, you won’t play.” 

"You’ve been reading some of the red-covered 
detective stories, and think you’re a sleuth!” 
snarled the Captain. 

"You may as well tell me all about it,” Ned 
urged. 

"I have told you aU I know about the con- 
dition of the wreck.” 

"And the packet?” 

"There was a long envelope, but I did not see 
what it contained.” 

"Yet you came here to make sure that it 
should not get out of your hands unless it would 
aid you in your treachery?” 

The prisoner was silent. 


BLUFF THAT DIDN’T WORK 173 


‘^Why didn’t you obtain a knowledge of its 
contents?” 

^The man who held it refused to make de- 
livery.” 

^Tn other words, he demanded more money 
than you were authorized to pay him?” 
have nothing to say about that.” 

“He took the packet back to the Shark?” 

“Of course.” 

“And made an appointment to meet you at 
Hongkong?” 

“It does not matter to you what our ar- 
rangement is.” 

“Oh, yes it does, for I’m telling you now that 
the appointment will never be kept.” 

“You don’t know what peril you are in this 
minute,” snarled the other. “There are bombs 
under your keel now!” 

Ned did not like the tone of satisfaction in 
which the words were spoken. The Shark had 
passed slowly over the spot where the Sea Lion 
now lay, and torpedoes and bombs might have 
been laid. 

“Thank you for the hint,” he finally said. 
“I’ll go out and see about it.” 

“When you want further information,” 
frowned the Captain, with a scornful laugh, 
“come in and I’ll give it to you — ^just as I have 
on this occasion.” 


174 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


trouble to show goods!’’ broke in the son. 

Ned opened the door and motioned to Hans 
and Jack, who were just outside, watching and 
listening to such few words as came -through the 
heavy panels of the door. 

^Take this impertinent young murderer to 
the den,” he said, as Hans and Jack stepped up, 
^^and leave him there in darkness. Don’t feed 
him until I give the word.” 

The young man’s struggles only increased the 
violence which was used in his removal. The 
boys would have killed the man who had at- 
tempted the lives of all the crew if they had been 
directed to do so. 

Then Ned turned back to the Captain, now 
foaming with rage and calling to his son to re- 
main docile until his turn should come. 

^^You pride yourself on having put me off 
without any information whatever,” the boy 
said. ^^You advise me to come again and meet 
with the same treatment. Now, let me tell 
you, for your information, that 1 came in here 
to get answers to only two questions.” 

^^Did you get them?” 

^Tndeed I did,” was the reply. 

The Captain looked disgusted. 

^ What were they?” he asked. 

wanted to know if the man who landed 
from the Shark had the packet, and if he took 


BLUFF THAT DIDN’T WORK 175 


it back on board with him. You gave me the 
information 1 sought. You even told me that 
the packet had not been opened when you saw 
it.” 

The Captain stormed up and down the little 
room in a towering rage. 

I could turn a lever now and blow us all 
into eternity,” he shouted, would do it!” 

' Y'^our mind seems to run on blowing up some- 
body.” 

Moore gritted his teeth and made no reply. 

Ned locked him in again and went out to 
Frank, who was in charge of the boat. 

^^Get her over to the west a few yards,” he 
said. ^^Our friend the Captain says the Shark 
is sowing torpedoes along here, and we can’t 
afford to be blown up just now.” 

^Yhe Shark is at the surface now,” Frank 
said. 

^^Anybody on the bottom?” 

^^Not so far as I can see, but it is pretty thick 
down here.” 

^Why not go to the surface?” asked Jack. 

^^Yes; she knows we are here, all right,” Frank 
added. 

“Well, keep to the bottom until you change 
position, then come to the top and keep dark. 
Not a light in sight, understand, and the tower 
up just high enough to keep out the water.” 


176 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^^What are you going to do?’^ asked Frank. 

“I want to get aboard the Shark,” was the 
cool reply. 

^^Yes; I see you doing it,” Frank said. 

can only try,” was the reply. ^‘The boat 
is headed for Hongkong, where she is to deliver 
the packet we want. She is to deliver it to 
Captain Moore on the payment of a certain sum 
of money, but if the Captain is not there she 
will turn it over to whoever has the price. We 
can^t allow that.” 

^^Of course not; but how are you going to get 
on board the Shark? If you don’t watch out 
you’ll be served as you served young Moore.” 

^The minute the Shark strikes Hongkong,” 
Ned replied, “we will have a thousand places 
to search for those papers. Before she lands, 
we have only one.” 

“You are always right !” cried Frank. “When 
are you going to make the attempt?” 

“That depends. In the meantime, we must 
get to the surface and in a position where we 
cannot be seen. If she thinks we have gone 
away, so much the better.” 

“I guess our little picnic isn’t over with yet!” 
laughed Frank. “Are you going to take me on 
board with you?” 

“I’ll be lucky if I can take myself on board,” 
was the reply. 


BLUFF THAT DIDN’T WORK 177 


By this time the Sea Lion was some distance 
from the Shark, and the hatch in the conning 
tower was open. It was a clear, starlit night, 
and there would be a moon later on. 

There seemed to be great confusion on board 
the Shark. The boat was brilliantly lighted, 
and the conning tower stood high above the 
water. The ports on the side toward the Sea 
Lion were open, as if to admit the pure, cool air 
of the night. 

believe there^s something the matter with 
her air supply, Ned said to Frank as the two 
stood together on the tower. ^The ramming 
she gave us must have done her a lot of mischief. 
Looks like she was stuck there until help comes. 

^The help she ought to have is right here,’’ 
Frank replied. ^T’d like to get that crew on 
board a man-of-war.” 

^ We have the real criminals,” Ned replied. 

The boys watched the Shark for a long time. 
They could see people moving about on the 
inside, and occasionally a group assembled on 
the conning platform, which was much larger 
than that of the Sea Lion. 

believe some one is going down in a water 
suit,” Ned said, presently. ^The water chamber 
is on the other side, but she lists as if a weight 
was pulling at her.” 

^Xisten!” Frank cautioned. ^There’s the 


178 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


machinery working. That would be the lower- 
ing apparatus. Some one is going down, all 
right. Now, what for?^’ 

Ten minutes passed, and then the waters 
surged about the Sea Lion, and a great roar 
and rumble came with the waves which swept 
into the open hatch. The Shark, too, rocked 
on the crest of a great wave. 

^^Dynamite below Ned said. ^Will there 
be more than one?” 


BAD FOR SEA CREATURES 179 


CHAPTER XVII 

BAD FOR THE SEA CREATURES 

As Ned spoke there came another upheaval 
of water, and a louder roar from the sea. The 
Shark and the Sea Lion both swayed perilously. 
Ned and Frank closed their hatch and clung to 
the railing around the conning tower platform. 

^Those are torpedoes, all right,^^ Frank said. 

^^But I donT understand — 

Ned cut the sentence short as a third rever- 
beration came from beneath the water. 

^^They think we are down there yet!” Frank 
said. “I wonder how the man who went down 
came to make such a mistake?” 

^^Cheerful sort of people to fight!” Ned said, 
^^Every man on that boat is a murderer at heart.” 

A pounding on the under side of the hatch was 
now heard, and Jimmie^s face showed when it 
was lifted. 

^^Say,” the little fellow said, “Captain Moore 
wants to speak to you, Ned. These here 
earthquake shocks have got him goin\ He acts 
like a crazy man.” 

Ned paid no attention to the request. 


180 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


wants to say that he told me so/’ Ned 
said to Jimmie. ^^Go back and tell him that 
he ought not to be afraid of his friends on board 
the Shark.” 

^'Gee!” the little fellow replied. ^Tf he don’t 
behave himself, I’ll turn the hose on him. He 
ought to have a salt water bath, anyway. For a 
long time he’s been tryin’ to give us one!” 

^^Let him alone,” Ned ordered. 

This second upheaval of the water had swung 
the Shark around so that the door to the water 
chamber was in view from the Sea Lion. The 
boys saw that it was open, probably left in that 
way for the return of the man who had gone down 
in the water suit. 

The light,' shining from the main cabin, 
filtered through the chamber, which was, of 
course, under water, only a few inches of the 
conning tower of the submarine now being above 
the surface. 

^^Can they shut that door from the cabin?” 
Frank asked. 

presume so,” Ned replied. ^They ought 
to be able to shut the door and empty the room 
as well.” 

^That can’t be done on the Sea Lion,” Frank 
said. 

^^No, but that is a detail that was overlooked 
in the construction of the boat. I was just 


BAD FOR SEA CREATURES 181 


learning to run the craft, and did not observe 
the deficiency/^ 

^^Well/^ Frank went on, ^^they are closing the 
door, but they are not doing a good job at it. 
Say,’’ he added, grasping Ned’s arm, “Vll bet 
the machinery connecting with the door from 
the cabin is broken!” 

‘Then the man who is down below will have 
to come up and do the opening after he gets up, 
and after he shuts the outer door and exhausts 
the water.” 

‘T don’t believe the outer door can be closed.” 

“What I’m interested in just now,” Ned said, 
“is whether the diver is still alive. If he was 
anywhere near where the torpedoes exploded 
he is dead.” 

“And the Shark can’t close her water chamber! 
I see a chance, Ned,” Frank exclaimed. “Sup- 
pose I drop out and enter that water chamber?” 

“What for?” asked Ned. 

“Why, they would think I was the other 
fellow and let me in.” 

“With your line and hose unconnected with 
the mechanism inside?” asked Ned. 

“Never thought of that.” 

“The only way for us to get into that boat,” 
Ned went on, “is to get in from the top.” 

“But how?” 

“That’s just what I’m trying to study out.” 


182 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


“I presume the man who went down is there 
for good/’ Frank suggested. 

'^He probably went down to see why the 
torpedoes didn’t go off and got caught/’ Ned 
replied. 

'Terhaps the Shark will go down to see about 
it directly/’ the other ventured. 

hardly think she could lift again with that 
water chamber door open and the chamber full 
of water,” Ned went on. ^Tt is my opinion that 
they will remain on top./ 

should think she’d be afraid of the traps 
she set for us, anyway. I wish she would get 
caught in one of them.” 

^^Not while she has that mysterious packet 
on board,” smiled Ned. ^^We have traveled 
a long way to get that.” 

No more submarine explosions came, and the 
boys sat on the dark conning tower until nearly 
midnight, watching the people on the Shark 
flying about, evidently laboring under great 
excitement. 

The diver had not returned. The machinery 
was evidently out of order and the Shark might 
as well have tied to the bottom for all the speed 
she could make. 

^T’m afraid some ship friendly to these pirates 
will come along,” Ned said, after a long silence. 


BAD FOR SEA CREATURES 183 


'T think I'd better go aboard the Shark and find 
out what she intends doing." 
see you doing it!" 
can only try." 

“And try only once," Frank muttered. 

“I think they are ready for a compromise by 
this time." 

“Well, then. I'll go with you," Frank decided. 

“Get up the boat, then." 

Jack and Jimmie were not inclined to favor 
the scheme, but they assisted in launching the 
boat and stood with half-frightened faces while 
Ned and Frank stepped into her. 

Just as they were pushing off, Hans made 
his appearance on the little platform, his china- 
blue eyes filled with excitement. 

“Mine friendts," he said, “vot iss if I goes 
py the poat?" 

“No more room," said Frank. 

“Now, you hold on," Jimmie called out. 
“You know what sort of a left hand punch this 
baby has? Well, then, you may need him when 
you get over to the Shark. See?" 

“That might be," Frank muttered, looking 
inquiringly at Ned. 

“Then let him come along," the latter said, 
so Hans entered the boat and took up the oars. 

“Rows like a steam engine!" Jimmie ob- 


184 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


served as the boat sped away. “That Dutch- 
man is stronger than a mule.’^ 

It was still and lonely on the Sea Lion after 
the departure of the boys. The lights of the 
Shark were in sight, but they did not bring 
cheerful thoughts. The boys sat on the railing 
of the conning tower and waited in no little 
anxiety. 

Occasionally the pounding of the prisoners 
reached their ears, but they paid little attention 
to it. 

“They are suffering the tortures of the lost,^^ 
Jack said. “Every minute they think theyTe 
going to the bottom. Let them take their 
medicine!^’ 

“I wish they were going to the bottom,^^ 
Jimmie responded. “When we see snakes like 
they are we ought never to let them get away 
from us. If we donT get bitten, some one else 
will.” 

Jack rested his chin on his palms and regarded 
the boy quizzically for a moment. 

“How do you like it, as far as you’ve got?” 
he asked, then. 

Jimmie looked down into the interior of the 
submarine, out over the sea, sparkling in the 
moonlight, then up to the heavens, bright with 
stars. Presently he answered: 

“I don’t like it.” 


BAD FOR SEA CREATURES 185 


^ We ain^t havin’ any fun. We’ve been down 
in that old hold for a long time, and haven’t 
got anywhere. I’d rather take a trip through 
South America, or through China. I want the 
ground under my feet part of the time, anyway.” 

^Tt seems to me that it is getting stale and un- 
profitable,” Jack admitted. ^^Suppose we get 
up power and drift up closer to the Shark. 
Then we can at least see what’s going on.” 

right, ’bo!” cried Jimmie, starting down 
the stairs. 

^Well,” called Jack, ^^don’t be in such a 
hurry! We want to make sure that Ned has 
attracted the attention of the Shark people 
before we move. If they see us moving up on 
them before Ned gets a chance to talk with 
them, they may do something rash to the boys.” 

^^Guess you are right,” Jimmie admitted. 

^^So far as I can see,” Jack continued, ^^they 
are over there now. Do you hear that voice?” 

^^Ned’s, all right.” 

The boys listened, but the voice came no 
more. 

^They’ve pulled him into the boat!” cried 
Jimmie. ^^Hurry up and get started!” 

When Jack went below to handle the motive 
power machinery he heard Captain Moore 
thumping on the door of his prison. 


186 BOY vSCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^^What do you want?^^ he demanded. 

“Come to the door/’ 

Jack did as requested, but did not open the 
door. 

“Now, what is it?” he asked. 

“Is that Nestor?” 

“It’s Jack,” was the reply. 

“Well, ask Nestor if he’ll let both of us go 
if we’ll give up the whole scheme. Will you?” 

“And the papers?” 

“I’ll help him get the papers.” 

“I’ll tell him,” said Jack. 

“Send for him at once,” urged the Captain. 
“If we remain here much longer, we’U be blown 
out of water. You heard those explosions?” 

“They harmed no one but the sea creatures,” 
Jack replied. “They were bad for them.” 

“Where is Nestor?” was then asked. 

“Visiting on the Shark,” was the reply. 

“If they’ve got him, he’ll never come back,” 
gritted the Captain. 

“But they haven’t,” said the boy. “We’re 
going to run the Sea Lion over to the Shark - 
now and help them entertain him.” 

“You’re a fooU” roared Moore. “Don’t you 
tell them that we are on board — ^my son and 
myself.” 

“Don’t they know it?” 

“How should they know it? Don’t you tell 


BAD FOR SEA CREATURES 187 


them. If you do they will raid your ship and 
get us.” 

‘^So youVe been playing some dirty trick on 
them, have you?” asked Jack. “Well, what 
about your meeting them at Hongkong?” 

“That was a lie.” 

“You are out with them?” 

“They are out with me. They claim I am 
keeping them out of a lot of money. Don’t tell 
them I am here.” 

“In aU your life” — asked Jack — “in all your 
life, did you ever do business with any man, 
woman, or child you didn’t cheat and betray? 
You ought to be hanged.” 

“If Nestor comes back, you send him here 
and I’ll tell him the whole story if he’ll let us 
go. And I’ll tell him how to get the papers he 
is after. Will you see that he comes — if he gets 
back?” 

“I think it would do you more good,” laughed 
Jack, “to have a talk with the people on the 
Shark.” 

Ignoring the prisoner’s further demands, Jack 
turned on the power and directed the Sea Lion 
toward the Shark. In a moment Jimmie called 
down through the hatchway: 

“Slow up, now, unless you want to bunt the 
other boat.” 

Jack, accordingly, shut off the power and went 


188 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


up to the platform. The boat was still drifting 
ahead a trifle, and the boy went below again and 
dropped an anchor. 

If the advance of the submarine had attracted 
the attention of those on the Shark’s conning 
tower they gave no evidence of the fact. The 
boat Ned had taken lay swinging on the easy 
sea close to the tower, with Frank and Hans 
sitting near the stern. 

Directly voices came from the other sub- 
marine. The first speaker was Ned, then a 
heavier voice exclaimed, angrily: 

^^You have no right to suppose anything of the 
kind. We are here on legitimate business, and 
must not be interfered with.” 

^What did you take from the wreck?” asked 
Ned. 

^^What is it to you?” came the stronger voice. 
^^You can’t make any bluff work with me.” 

^Then I may as well go back to my ship,” Ned 
said. 

^^Go back to your ship!” snapped the other, 
'^Not if I know myself. You have come aboard 
without leave or license, and you’ll stay until 
we get good and ready to let you go.” 

The boys saw Hans and Frank spring for the 
platform, and then a shout of triumph came from 
half a dozen throats. Ned surely was in 
trouble. 


^^MAKING A GOOD JOB OF IT'' 189 


CHAPTER XVIII 

^^MAKING A GOOD JOB OF IT." 

'T guess they've got Ned!" Jimmie cried, as 
the heavy hatch of the Shark closed with a 
slam. 'Tf they have, we'll ram 'em to the 
bottom." 

^^You just wait!" Jack advised. ^There's 
a good deal of a racket going on over there. 
I guess Hans is putting his educated left into 
motion. Look at him!" 

There was indeed a great commotion on the 
platform. Presently the hatch was lifted and 
one of the contestants disappeared. 

“Do you mind that, now!" shouted Jimmie. 
“Ned has captured the boat for keeps! There! 
Now he's tellin' them where to head in at!" 

Through the still night air they heard Ned's 
voice : 

“You people down there know what I am 
here for. If the thing I want is destroyed 
you'll all be hanged for piracy. Understand?" 

Then the hatch was jammed down again, and 
Ned and Frank stepped into the rowboat, leav- 
ing Hans on the platform. Jimmie threw up 


190 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


his cap when the two boys stepped on the Sea 
Lion^s platform. 

^^You captured the bunch he yelled, ^^and 
you stole the boat. You sure made a good job 
of it.” 

^^What^s the proposition?” asked Jack. 

thought I’d tow the old tub into a port 
where I can communicate with an American 
man-of-war,” replied Ned. 

“This is luck!” Frank exclaimed. “Luck 
for us, and trouble for the pirates. I wonder 
if they’ve got much gold on board.” 

“If they have,” laughed Ned, “Hans will see 
that they don’t get away with it. They’re 
nailed down hard.” 

“Talk about the luck of the British army!” 
roared Jack. “It is blind adversity to the luck 
of the Boy Scouts! Here we’ve got the pirates 
bunched! As soon as we communicate with 
a man-of-war, we’ll turn ’em over to Uncle Sam 
and go back and get the gold.” 

“The Shark,” Frank observed, “was a dere- 
lict when we picked her up, wasn’t she? She 
couldn’t move a foot. Well, then, we’re en- 
titled to salvage. We’ll put in a bill that will 
eat up the whole business!” 

“If we get her into port,” Ned replied. “The 
old tub is in bad shape owing to the bunting she 


“MAKING A GOOD JOB OF IT'’ 191 


gave the Sea Lion. I'm afraid she'll go down 
before morning." 

“Gripes!" Jimmie broke out. “What will 
we do, then, with all them bold, bad men? 
We've got our penitentiary full now!" 

“And the prisoners are making all kinds of 
trouble, too," Jack added. “If the door wasn't 
good and strong, it'd be in splinters by this 
time. That young Moore is the worst." 

“We won't cross any bridges until we come to 
them," Ned remarked. “The Shark may last 
until we get to Hongkong. Anyway, I'm count- 
ing on quite a run before she goes down." 

“How many are there on board?" asked Jack. 

“Six, not counting Hans. I think we can 
accommodate them all on board the Sea Lion, 
if we have to." 

The Sea Lion towed the Shark all through the 
night, keeping to an easterly direction with the 
idea of going to Hongkong, something over 150 
miles away. All along the eastern coast of 
Kwang Tung, from the slender peninsula which 
separates the Gulf of Tongking from the China 
Sea to the bay which penetrates almost to Can- 
ton, there is a succession of little islands, so the 
submarine and her prize were always in sight 
of land. 

Just at dawn there came a cry from the plat- 


192 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


form of the Shark, and Hans was discovered 
waving his cap excitedly in the air. 

^^Vater! Vater he cried. ^^Dis iss droubles! 
Make us off dis durdle — gwick!^’ 

^^Sinking?^’ Ned called back. 

Further talk with the German informed Ned 
that water was seeping into the different com- 
partments of the Shark, and that the inmates 
were already perched on tables and on the stairs 
leading to the platform. 

The boy attached the towing cable to a wind- 
lass on the platform of the Sea Lion, turned on 
the power, and the sinking craft soon lay along- 
side. She was indeed in a bad predicament. 
Another half hour would see the last of her. 

^^Now,’’ Ned said, ^ Ve donT know what those 
fellows will try to do when the hatch is lifted. 
IVe known snakes to sting the hand that fed 
and warmed them. Anyway, weT take no 
chances.’^ 

Following his orders, the boys got out their 
automatic revolvers and ranged themselves on 
the platform. Then Ned lowered the rowboat, 
making a bridge between the two. The hulls 
of the boats met under water, but the platforms, 
owing to the bulge, were some little distance 
apart. The railings of the conning towers were 
not much above the surface. 

His arrangements for securing the prisoners 


“MAKING A GOOD JOB OF IT’> 193 


without trouble completed, Ned went over to 
the Shark and lifted the hatch. He was greeted 
with a chorus of threats, supplications, and 
questions. 

“You’ll get yours for sinking the Shark!” one 
shouted. 

“For God’s sake let us out; we are drowning!” 
whined another. 

“What’s the matter with the boat?” asked 
a third. 

“Listen,” Ned said. “The Shark may go 
down in ten minutes, or she may float, under 
tow, for a long time. Anyway, you are better 
out of her. I’ll take you all out if you promise 
to behave yourselves. Come out of the hatch 
one at a time and be searched for weapons. The 
man that carries a weapon of any kind on his 
person will be thrown back, to feed the fish. 
Do you understand?” 

They understood, and not even a penknife was 
found when search was made. Five of the 
rescued ones were plain seamen, with little 
knowledge of submarine work. The other was 
the captain of the Shark. Under the direction 
of young Moore he had attempted to make off 
with everything of value on the wreck, including 
the papers. 

This man was a fair type of marine officer, had, 
in fact, resigned from the United States service 


194 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


with Captain Moore. He was by no means 
an ill-looking man, but his snaky eyes and 
treacherous mouth told Ned to look out for him. 

He came out of the hatch last and was step- 
ping onto the rowboat when Ned stopped him 
with a question: 

Where are the papers? 

^^What papers?’^ snarled the other, Babcock 
by name. 

^The papers you took from the wreck.’' 

^They are below, soaked with water.” 

^^Getthem!” 

^^But— ” 

^^Getthem! Quick!” 

^^But they are afloat, and — ” 

^^Get them!” 

Babcock went down the staircase with murder 
in his eyes. He returned, in a moment, with a 
sealed packet, which was perfectly dry. Ned 
broke the seal and glanced at the sheets inside. 

The one which met his eyes first was headed: 

General instructions, to be opened only when 
the demand for the coin is made.” 

^^Now,” Ned went on, ^ Vhere are your sailing 
orders?” 

^Xost!” was the reply. 

^^Get them!” Ned said, quietly. 

^They are — ” 

^^Get them,” came again from the boy’s lips, 


‘‘MAKING A GOOD JOB OF IT’’ 195 


Again Babcock went into the submarine, now 
rapidly filling with water. He returned dripping 
with sea water, holding in his hand a water- 
tight tin box which was secured by a brass pad- 
lock. 

“You now have everything I held concerning 
the mission of the boat and the disposition of 
the gold,” he said. “I suppose I may get out 
of the water now?” 

Ned stepped aside and Babcock passed over 
to the Sea Lion. Ned attached a buoy to the 
tower of the Shark and cut loose from her. 

“We^ll let some of Uncle Sam^s boats pick 
her up,” he said. “I^m for Hongkong with 
these papers.” 

The five sailors were not locked up, but were 
given the run of the cabin, the machine room 
only being closed against them. 

“I’m not going to have them mixing things 
down here,” Jack, who was in charge that day, 
said. 

Babcock, however, was locked up with Cap- 
tain Moore. When the door closed on the two 
men the boys heard them both talking at the 
same time, and their language was not at all 
complimentary to each other. 

“You’re a blackmailer!” Moore yelled. 

“You’re a liar!” was the reply. 

“Fight it out!” Jimmie shouted from the door. 


196 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^^Get to going and see '^ho’s to blame for this!^’ 

Then the voices quieted down, and no more 
words were heard. 

^'Did you hear what they called each other?^^ 
asked Jack. “Well, I’m betting they are both 
right.” 

Ned went to his cabin and opened the tin 
box. He lingered over what he found there 
until noon and then called Frank into conference 
with him. 

“There’s a plot which involves officers at 
Canton,” he said, “and we may as well bag the 
whole bunch.” 

“Of course. We ought to make a good job 
of it, as Jimmie says.” 

Ned examined his map and called Frank over 
to the table where it was spread out. 

“If we go to Canton,” he said, “we’ll have to 
run into the lake-like mouth of the Si River. 
Guess that’s its name. It looks dim on the map. 
Fifty miles to the north the little stream on 
which Canton is situated runs into the larger 
stream. 

“We can run to that point and leave the Sea 
Lion while we go to Canton. I guess the 
prisoners won’t object to a few days more of 
imprisonment. Anyway, we may meet a ship 
we can turn them over to.” 

“They are objecting, right now, it 'seems,” 


‘‘MAKING A GOOD JOB OF IT^ 197 


cried Frank, opening the door and looking out 
into the main cabin. ‘^Hans is sitting on one of 
the sailors and Jack and Jimmie are holding the 
others back with their automatics.’^ 

Both boys leaped out. The sailors, doubtless 
alarmed at the arrival of the leaders, sprang for 
the hatchway. The boys did not fire at them as 
they passed, and directly splashes in the sea 
told those on the stairs that the sailors had 
leaped into the water. 

Hans arose, scratching his head, and looked 
down on the man he had been sitting on. The 
fellow looked up into the lad’s face with a queer 
expression in his eyes. 

‘^Vot iss?” demanded Hans. ^^Go py the 
odders if you schoose! Py schimminy, dose 
shark haf one feast !” 

^^Not on your life!” cried the prisoner. ^T’m 
not anxious to get away. I was shanghaied 
on the Shark, and it’s glad I am to be out of that 
bum crowd.” 

Jimmie, who had followed the sailors to the 
platform, now came back with the information 
that three of them had been picked up by a 
native canoe which had now disappeared from 
sight in a group of islands. The other, he said, 
had gone down. 

‘^How much do those sailors know?” asked 
Ned of the man Hans had taken prisoner. 


198 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^^They know a lot,” was the reply. ^^They 
were all in together. What one knew, all 
knew, I guess. It is too bad they got away, for 
they had a definite plan to operate if there w^as 
trouble and any got away. They will lay in 
wait for you when you land.” 

^They'll have to travel fast if they do!” 
Frank laughed. 


ON THE EDGE OF DISASTER 199 


CHAPTER XIX 

ON THE EDGE OF DISASTER 

The Si River is not a river at all where its 
waters flow into the China Sea. It is a wide, 
salt-water inlet, a bay, a great delta, like that 
of the Amazon. This great bay is miles in 
width in places and extends at least fifty miles 
into the interior. 

Almost at the end, it is joined by a narrow 
little stream upon which Canton, the capital city 
of Kwang Tung, is situated. The city is some- 
thing less than fifteen miles from the mouth 
of the river upon which it stands. 

It was for Canton that the boys were headed. 
Some of the papers Ned had found in the private 
box of Captain Babcock made reference to a 
place of meeting there which the boy desired 
to investigate. 

He was now convinced that the plot against 
the Government had been a vicious one, backed 
by people of influence and standing in the world 
of diplomacy. It would bring the case on which 
he was working to a very satisfactory finish if 


200 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


he could include in his report the story of a 
meeting of the conspirators. 

While the boy sat alone on the platform of the 
conning tower that evening the sailor who had 
remained on board the Sea Lion at the time of 
the escape of the others came to him. The 
fellow was an American, and seemed to be honest 
in his desire to assist Ned. 

^The men who escaped, he said, ‘Vill not 
lose track of the Sea Lion. There are men on 
shore who will send the news of what has taken 
place on faster than you can travel. Wherever 
you go they will be waiting for you, and they 
are a bad lot.’’ 

^They have plenty of money behind them, 
I presume?” asked Ned. 

^They appear to have,” was the reply. 

^^Especially with the prospect of the loot from 
the wreck in mind,” Ned suggested. 

^They didn’t get much gold out of the wreck,” 
explained the other. “They pulled the yellow 
boys out until they came to the sealed parcel, 
and then they made off.” 

“They knew that we were on the ground, 
watching them?” 

“Oh, yes, but they had a plan for getting rid 
of you.” 

“The plan young Moore attempted to carry 
out?” 


ON THE EDGE OF DISASTER 201 


^That meant murder?^’ 

Ned was silent for a moment, thinking grate- 
fully of the resourcefulness of the ex-newsboy. 
To this they all doubtless owed their lives. He 
promised himself that the lad should be properly 
remembered when the time of settlement with 
the Government came. 

^^Do you know where the conspirators are to 
meet at Hongkong?’^ he then asked. 

^^At Canton, I said,’^ answered the other, 
with a twinkle in his eyes. ^^You thought to 
trip me?’’ he asked. 

Ned, in turn, smiled quietly. He had indeed 
been testing the man. 

‘Well,” he added, “do yqu know where they 
are to meet at Canton?” 

“Oh, I heard the name of the street, but it 
sounded more like the clatter of falling crockery 
than a name, so I don’t remember it.” 

“Perhaps a landmark was mentioned?” 

“Yes, come to think of it, there was. The 
place of meeting is in the rear of a curio shop 
next door to an English chop house. That 
ought to be easy to find.” 

The visit to Canton promised to be a danger- 
ous one, especially as the men who had escaped 
would send on word of what had taken place 


202 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


on the Shark. The fellows had been picked up 
by natives in canoes, and were probably at 
that time on the main land, within reach of a 
telegraph wire, or some other means of commu- 
nication with Canton. 

While the boy studied over the matter Frank 
came on the platform and the seaman went 
below. Ned laid the proposition before the 
newcomer. 

^Well,’’ Frank said, ^^you have the papers, 
you have the private orders of Captain Bab- 
cock, of the Shark, and you have the two main 
rascals. Captain Moore and his precious son. 
Wkat more do you want?’’ 

want the foreigner who put up the job.” 

“That does seem worth while,” Frank mused. 

“It’s this way,” Ned went on. “The sealed 
packet doubtless contains instruction to one 
of the revolutionary leaders regarding the dis- 
position of the money. You see, they were 
sure the rebels would be on hand to grab the 
shipment as soon as it left the ship. The loss 
was to fall on the Chinese government and the 
revolutionists were to profit by it. 

“The instructions make it look mighty bad 
for our Government, for the gold was drawn 
directly from the subtreasury the day it was 
shipped. It looked as if we were plotting against 
a friendly government.” 


ON THE EDGE OF DISASTER 203 


see/^ 

^^But some one leaked. The story of the 
shipment got out, and the vessel was rammed 
one night by a steamer which has never been 
identified. The idea, of course, was to prevent 
the revolutionists getting the monej^, without 
telling what was known, or bringing the nation 
which butted into the case into prominence at 
all.’’ 

^Then some nation friendly to the Emperor 
of China did that?” 

don’t know. Anyway, the nation that 
did it bribed Captain Moore and Captain Bab- 
cock to get the gold — and to recover the sealed 
packet. With this in their hands, they might 
have made Uncle Sam a great deal of trouble.” 

'T understand, and now you want to get the 
men who conspired with the Moores and Captain 
Babcock?” 

^That’s the idea, not so much in the hope 
of bringing them to punishment as to locate 
the source of their inspiration.” 

^Then, I reckon we’ll have to go to Canton,” 
Frank remarked. ^^We’ll see the town then, 
anyway.” 

The boy remained silent for a moment and 
then asked: 

^What can you do to the chief conspirators 
if you catch them?” 


204 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^^Nothing. I can only file my report with 
the government and drop out of the case/^ 

^^And the Moores and Babcock?^’ 

^Tfil turn them over to the first American 
man-of-war I meet/’ 

“And then go back after the gold?” 

“That depends on instructions.” 

“That’s the difficulty of working on diplomacy 
cases,” said Frank. “We have to take all man- 
ner of risks, and then, sometimes, see the real 
rascals get off free — on account of international 
complications. I’d like to work on a real old 
detective case on the Bowery.” 

Ned laughed softly but made no reply. 

The Sea Lion made slow time, for the crippled 
Shark — which still fioated — rolled and tumbled 
heavily — in her wake and the sea was rougher 
than it had been before for many days. At last, 
however, she entered the long inlet leading up 
to Canton and cast anchor. 

“Ever been in these waters?” Ned asked of 
the American sailor. 

“Sure,” was the reply. “That is why they 
shanghaied me in San Francisco.” 

“How far can I go up?” 

“Clear to the mouth of the river.” 

Proceeding leisurely, the Sea Lion passed up 
the inlet. It was early morning when she came 
to the mouth of the river. They had passed 


ON THE EDGE OF DISASTER 205 


many vessels on the way, some native, some 
foreign, but had not been molested, though 
many curious eyes were turned toward the 
tow and the odd-shaped craft doing the pull- 
ing. 

When anchor was cast in a little bay at the 
mouth — a quiet little stretch of water sheltered 
by old warehouses which had been erected 
years before by native traders — ^Jack came run- 
ning up the stairs to meet Ned. 

^^Captain Moore,^^ he said, ^^is weeping him- 
self to death for lack of your sweet society. He^s 
all running out under the door!^^ 

^^Jack,’’ Ned laughed, ^^if your imagination 
wasn^t too strong, you’d do well writing fiction. 
As it is it is so strong that anything you might 
put on paper would not be believable. Anyway, 
ril go and see what the Captain has on his 
mind.” 

Captain Moore had fear on his mind. Ned 
saw that the second the door was open. His 
face was white as paper and his eyes roved 
about like those of a madman. 

^^You are going on to Canton?” the Captain 
asked, in a trembling tone of voice. 

was thinking of it,” Ned answered, 

^men?” 

^To-night.” 

^^And leave the submarine here?” 


206 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


“If I could take her with me/’ smiled Ned, 
“I would do so, bat I’m afraid I can’t.” 

“This is no joking matter,” snapped Moore. 

“I knew you would begin to look at the matter 
in that light before you had done with it.” 

“You are going to the chop house in Canton?” 

“I hope to be able to find it.” 

“Alone?” 

“Of course not.” 

“Well,” the Captain added, wiping his dry 
lips with the back of his hand, “do you know 
what will happen to the Sea Lion while you are 
gone?” 

“Nothing serious, I hope.” 

“She will be blown up, and me with it!” 
almost screamed the Captain. “The power 
that is handling this matter would do more 
than that to get the papers you have secured 
out of the way, and to get rid of Babcock, my 
son, and myself.” 

“They seek to murder you?” 

“I believe it.” 

“Why?” 

“For two reasons. We know too much, and 
we failed.” 

“You haven’t named the power,” suggested 
Ned. 

“I am unable to do so. I don’t know. I have 
done all my work with a go-between.” 


ON THE EDGE OF DISASTER 207 


see/^ Ned said. 

you must go to Canton,” the Captain 
went on, ^^first turn us over to the authorities 
here — to the American consul, if you please.” 

“That would protect the boat?” 

“It would protect us.” 

“For the present, yes.” 

“And take the papers with you!” 

“Why?” laughed Ned, thoroughly amused. 

“Because that will draw the search off the 
boat.” 

“Then you believe that I shall be watched 
and followed?” 

“Yes, and killed.” 

“You^re a cheerful sort oi fellow!” laughed 
Ned. 

Jimmie now came to the door and announced 
a warship flying an American flag. 

“She/s signaling you,” he added. 

Ned was pretty glad to see the ship come to a 
halt lower down the inlet. She was not a large 
vessel, but she looked as big to Ned as all Man- 
hattan island. 

In an hour he was on board the ship, in earnest 
conversation with the captain, who had been 
ordered by cable to look the Sea Lion up and 
report to Ned. In another hour the prisoners 
were on board the warship, and the Sea Lion 
was anchored under her guns. 


208 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


CHAPTER XX 

AN ENDING AND A BEGINNING 

Captain Harmon, of the warship Union, was 
a brave and capable officer. He understood 
at once the necessity for the trip to Canton. 
The conspirators must be identified. The 
United States Government must be informed 
as to the foreign power which had so nosed into 
her affairs. 

^The power that is doing this,^^ the Captain 
said, ^ Vill resort to other tricks when this one 
fails. We want to know who she is. On the 
whole, I think, Tl\ go to Canton with you — 
with your permission, of course.” 

^That^s kind of you,” Ned replied, pleased 
at the offer. can leave three of the boys on 
the Sea Lion and take one with me. I should 
be lost without that little rascal from the Bow- 
ery.” 

^^And 1^11 send a file of marines on board the 
Sea Lion,” the captain continued. ^That will 
make all safe there. Now, about the papers. 
You have the packet?” 

“Yes, of course.” . , 


AN ENDING AND BEGINNING 209 


^^What does it contain?^’ 

^^Instructions which show the hand of private 
parties only. They completely exonerate our 
Government.’’ 

^^And the other parties?” 

regret that I must not mention names^ 

sir.” 

^Tery well,” laughed the Captain. “You 
have performed your mission well. The slanders 
must now cease. But one thing more remains 
to be done — the meddling nation must be iden- 
tified, as I have already said. We must go to 
Canton.” 

And so, leaving the Moores and Babcock 
safely locked in the den on board the Union and 
the important papers secure in the Captain’s 
safe, Ned, accompanied by the Captain and 
Jimmie, set out for Canton by boat. The way 
was not long, and they arrived at noon, an early 
start having been secured. 

Ned was entirely at sea in the city, but Cap- 
tain Harmon had been there a number of times, 
and the English chop house was soon found. 
Next door to it was the curio shop mentioned 
to Ned. 

The three lounged about the chop house 
nearly all the afternoon. The Captain was in 
plain clothes, and the trio seemed to be foreign- 
ers waiting for friends to come. After a long 


210 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


time Ned saw a man pass the chop house and 
turn into the curio shop who did not seem to be 
a Chinaman. 

^^Jimmie/’ he said to the little fellow, ^^sup- 
pose 3 m u go in there and buy a dragon, or a 
silk coat, or a tin elephant. Anything to give 
you a notion as to what is going on in the 
shop.” 

The lad v/as off in a moment, and then the 
Captain turned to Ned. 

^^Why did you send the boy?” he asked. 

^ ^Because we may both be wanted outside,” 
was the reply. 

^^You mean that others may come — others 
who should be followed and observed?” 

^That^s the idea,” Ned replied. 

Directly two more men, evidently not China- 
men, passed into the shop, then Jimmie came 
running out. 

^Theyhe going into a back room,” he said. 

Ned strolled into the shop, and in a moment 
the Captain followed. Jimmie remained at 
the door. 

The two worked gradual^ back to the door 
of the rear room, and Ned ^^accidentally” leaned 
against it. It was locked. With the impact 
of the boy^s shoulder against the panels came a 
scraping of chairs on the floor of the room be- 
yond. 


AN ENDING AND BEGINNING 211 


^^YouVe stirred them up/’ whispered the 
Captain. 

Then some one called from the inside . 

‘What do you want?” 

“A word with you,” Ned replied. 

The shopkeeper now drew near and motioned 
the two away. When they did not obey he 
motioned toward the street, as if threatening 
to call assistance. 

“Who is it?” was now asked. 

“A messenger from Captain Henry Moore 
and his son,’ Ned answered, with a smile at 
the Captain. 

There was a long pause inside. 

“Where is he?” was asked. 

“A prisoner. He wished me to come here.” 

Then the door was opened a trifle and the 
two saw inside. The shopkeeper, thinking that 
all was well, went back to the front of the shop. 

\\Tien the door swung open both Ned and the 
Captain threw themselves against it. It went 
back against the wall with a bang, and the two 
nearly fell to the floor. 

When they straightened up again they saw a 
servant standing between them and the still 
open doorway. At a round table in the back 
end of the apartment were three men — all 
Europeans. 

Ned stepped forward to address them, but 


212 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


Captain Harmon drew him back and motioned 
toward the door. 

^What do you want?’’ one of the three asked, 
in English. “Why this intrusion?” 

Then Ned observed the face of the speaker, 
for the light was strong upon it. It was a face 
he had often seen pictured in reports of diplo- 
matic cases. It was the face of one of the 
keenest diplomats in the world. 

“I come from Captain Moore,” Ned said, 
almost trembling at the thought of standing in 
the presence of the powerful man who had 
spoken. 

“Can you send him here?” was asked. 

“I’ll try,” was the reply. 

“Who is your friend?” asked the other, point- 
ing to Captain Harmon. 

Ned turned toward the Captain and was 
amazed at the change which had taken place in 
his friend’s appearance. The erect naval officer 
was no longer at his side. Instead, a shambling, 
bent figure stood there, with face bent to the 
floor. 

“A seaman who is on sick leave,” Ned re- 
plied. 

“Well, step outside while we consider what 
to do in the matter,” said the diplomat. 
“Chang!” he called. 

The shopkeeper appeared at the door. 


AN ENDING AND BEGINNING 213 


Watch these fellows/’ came the orders. 

Watch them, understand!” 

The words were spoken in French, a language 
which Ned understood something of. The boy 
glanced keenly toward the man who had ans- 
wered to the name of Chang. He decided that 
he was not a Chinaman. 

The three stepped out into the shop together, 
•Ned watching the seeming Chinaman closely. 
It was his idea that the fellow would give a 
signal which would call a score or more of mer- 
cenaries to his assistance. He believed that it 
was not the intention of the men in the rear 
room to let them leave the place. 

When the three neared the center of the shop 
the alleged Chinaman lifted a whistle to his 
lips, as if about to signal. Ned snatched the 
whistle away and seized the fellow by the throat. 

‘'Now, Captain,” he whispered. 

The Captain, now his old self, sprang forward 
and the shopkeeper was soon tied fast, gagged, 
and laid behind nne of the counters. Then the 
two walked calmly out of the place. 

Jimmie paused long enough to lean over the 
counter and make a face at the prisoner, then 
followed on. 

"You know the truth now?” asked Ned, as 
the two stopped on a street corner not far away. 

"Yes.” 


214 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


^'The name of the meddlesome power is no 
longer a mystery?’’ 

^‘Yes, I understand that, but what are we to 
do?” 

^^Make our report.” 

^Then you think the case is closed?” asked 
the Captain. 

^^Well,” replied Ned, ^Sve have all the docu- 
ments, and we have the name of the diplomat 
who was waiting for Moore. What more do 
you want?” 

^^ilather a clean job of it,” mused the Captain. 

wonder what the Washington people will say 
when the papers are laid before them, with the 
name of the man Moore was doing business 
with?” 

^^What will be done about it?” 

^^Nothing. All Uncle Sam can do is to block 
such games.” 

^^And the Moores and Babcock?” 

^They may be punished for attempting to 
wreck the Sea Lion.” 

^‘1 don’t like diplomatic cases,” Ned said. 
^The rascals usually get free of punishment.” 

^Well,” Captain Moore said, ^ ^suppose we 
go on board the Union while we can. As soon 
as the alleged shopkeeper is found behind the 
counter, there will be the dickens to pay. They 
will know that the identity of the big gun has 


AN ENDING AND BEGINNING 215 


been established, and every attempt to murder 
us will be made/’ 

^^You think the man knew you?” asked Ned< 
don’t know. You noticed how I changed 
my attitude all I could when he^ looked at me: 
I rather fancied he saw something military 
about me before that.” ' 

'Then we may as well go aboard,” Ned said. 

"You have made a wonderful success of the 
mission,” the Captain said, that night. "You 
have done everything expected of you and more. 
Has it been easy?” 

"Well,” was the reply, "we have been kept 
busy!” 

The Captain laughed and pointed to the shore 
of the inlet in which the Union lay. 

"There are people who want to come aboard!” 
he said. "See the commotion on shore?” 

"Shall you permit them to board?” 

"Decidedly not. I have cabled to Washing- 
ton for instructions. Until they arrive I shall 
keep everybody off the boat . ” 

"That listens good to me,” Ned said. 

Boats which seemed to have no business there 
prowled around the warship all night, and once 
a sneak was caught hanging to the forv-ard 
chains. However, no one succeeded in getting 
aboard. 

In the morning the Captain came to Ned’fe 


216 BOY SCOUTS IN A SUBMARINE 


cabin with a number of cablegrams, all from 
Washington. 

have orders for you,’^ he said. 

Ned yawned and shook his head. 

^^Not for a submarine trip,’^ he said. 

am going north, the Captain said, “north 
through the China Sea, into the Yellow Sea, 
and so on to the Gulf of Pechili. Do you know 
where that is?” 

“It is the highway to Peking,” laughed Ned. 
“I hope you are not going there.” 

“Sure, and you are going with me.” 

“What for?” asked the boy. 

“To find the two men who sat at the table 
with the diplomat at Canton,” was the reply. 
“The Government wants them.” 

“We might have taken them, a few hours 
ago,” mused Ned. 

“Doubtful,” said the Captain. “Besides, 
there is other work for you in the Imperial City. 
Your friends are going with us, and the Sea 
Lion is to be left here.” 

“And the prisoners?” 

“They remain on board. In fact, the Govern- 
ment has a surprise for the conspirators. We 
may want Babcock and the Moores at Peking.” 

“And you^ll send the papers to Washing- 
ton?” 

“Yes. Write your report, briefly, for they 


AN ENDING AND BEGINNING 217 


now know a lot about the wonderful success 
you have had/' 

^^But how are we to get from the coast to 
Peking?" asked Ned. ^^It is quite a trip, and 
the diplomats will be after us." 

^^Motorcycles have been provided," was the 
reply, ^^and a flying squadron of my boys will 
go with you." 

^^Whoopee!" yelled Jimmie, who entered the 
cabin just in time to hear the latter part of the 
talk. ^^Me for the Chink land! Pll go and tell 
Frank and Jack." 

The boy dashed oflf, and all preparations for 
the trip were made. 

That night the Union sailed out of the China 
Sea. The case of the missing papers was closed. 
The gold was still at the bottom of the sea, but 
that was not Ned's fault. He had followed 
orders. However, the gold could be taken out 
at any time. The discovery of the men who 
had conspired with the famous diplomat could 
not wait. 

What the boys did, the luck they had, and the 
adventures they met with, on the way from the 
coast to the Imperial City, will be told in the 
next volume of this series, ^^Boy Scouts on 
Motorcycles; or. With the Flying Squadron." 

THE END. 


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1 

Adrift in New York 

30 

Paul Prescott’s Charge 

2 

Andy Gordon 

31 

Paul, the Peddler 

3 

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32 

Phil, the Fiddler 

Ralph Raymond’s Heir 

4 

Bob Burton 

33 

5 

Bound to Rise 

34 

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6 

Brave and Bold 

35 

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7 

Cash Boy, The 

36 

Shifting for Himself 

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37 

Sink or Swim 

9 

Chester Rand 

38 

Slow and Sure 

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39 

Store Boy, The 

11 

Do and Dare 

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Five Hundred Dollars 

44 

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16 

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Tom, the Boot Black 

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Grit; The Young Boatman 
Herbert Carter’s Legacy 

46 

Tony, the Tramp 

18 

47 

Try and Trust 

19 

Hector’s Inheritance 

48 

Wait and Hope 

20 

21 

Helping Himself 

In a New World 

49 

Walter Sherwood’s 
Probation 

22 

Jack’s Ward 

50 

Wren Winter’s Triumph 

23 

Jed, the Poor. House Boy 

51 

Young Aerobat 

24 

Joe’s Luck 

52 

Young Adventurer, The 

25 

Julius, the Street Boy 

53 

Young Explorer 

26 

Luke Walton 

54 

Young Miner 

27 

Making His Way 

Mark Mason’s Victory 

55 

Young Musician 

28 

56 

Young Outlaw 

29 

Only an Irish Boy 

57 

Young Salesman 


ALWAYS ASK FOR THE DONOHUE 


Complete Editions and you will get the best for the least money 


All of the above books may be had at the store where this 
book was bought, or will be sent postpaid at 50 cents each by the 
publishers 


M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY 

701-727 S. DEARBORN ST. :: CHICAGO 



ALWAYS ASK FOR THE DONOHUE 

Complete Editions and you will get the best for the least money 


Thrilling, Interesting, 
Instructive Books, by 

EDWARD S. 
ELLIS 

No boy’s library is complete unless it contains all of 
the books by that charming, delightful writer of boys’ 
stories of adventure, Edward S. Ellis. The follow- 
ing are the titles, uniform in size, style and binding: 

1. Life of Kit Carson 

2. Lone Wolf Cave 

3. Star of India 

4. The Boy Captive 

5. ’ The Red Plume 

All of the above books may be had at the store where 
this book was bought, or will be sent postage prepaid 
at 75c each, by the publishers 

M. A. DONOHUE & CO., 
701-727 S. Dearborn Street, CHICAGO 


ASK YOUR BOOKSELLER FOR 
THE DONOHUE COMPLETE EDITIONS 
and you will get the best for the least mon ey 


Works of 


c 

• 

harles Carleton Coffin 

AUTHOR OF 

Boys of ’76— Boys of ’61 




World-Wide reputation of the 
war stories from this facile pen 
prompted us to negotiate for 
a popular - priced edition 
his publishers, Messrs. 
Dana, Estes & Co. We^ 
therefor, can now offer the 
TVW^^ following best selling titles, 

printed on superior book paper, bound in 
English vellum cloth, stamped in three ink- 
ings from an attractive and original design: 

Following the Flag 
Winning His Way 

My Days and Nights on 
the Battlefield 

FOR SALE AT ALL BOOKSELLERS OR 
SENT POSTPAID UPON RECEIPT OF 50c. 

M. A. DONOHUE & CO. - - Chicago 

• 


ALWAYS ASK FOR THE DONOHUE 

Complete Editions and you will get the best for the least money 


THRILLING, INTERESTING, INSTRUCTIVE 

BOOKS 

By HARRY 
CASTLEMON 

No boy^s library is complete unless it contains all of 
the boo^ by that charming, delightful writer of boys’ 
stories of adventure, Harry Castlemon. The follow- 
ing are the titles, uniform in size, style and binding: 

1 Boy Trapper, The 

2 Frank the Young Naturalist 

3 Frank in the Woods 

4 Frank on the Lower Mississippi 

5 Frank on a Gunboat 

6 Frank Before Vicksburg 

7 Frank on the Prairie 

8 Frank at Don Carlos Ranch 

9 The First Capture 

10 Struggle for a Fortune, A 

11 Winged Arrows Medicine 

All of the above books may be had at the store where 
this book was bought, or will be sent postage prepaid 
at 75c each, by the publishers. 

M. A. DONOHUE & CO., 

701-727 S. Dearborn Street, CHICAGO 


ASK YOUR BOOKSELLER FOR 
THE DONOHUE COMPLETE EDITIONS 

and you will get the best for the least money 



JAN 3 1913 


BEST BOOKS 
NOW READY 

Oliver Optic 
Series — 

For a full generation the youth of America has been 
reading and re-reading ^‘Oliver Optic.” No genuine 
boy ever tires of this famous author who knew just 
what boys wanted and was always able to supply his 
wants. Books are attractively bound in art shades of 
English vellum cloth, three designs stamped in three 
colors. Printed from large type on an extra quality of 
clean flexible paper. Each book in glazed paper wrap- 
per. 12mo cloth. 

1 All Aboard 

2 Brave Old Salt 

3 Boat Club, The 

4 Fighting Joe 

5 Haste and Waste 

6 Hope and Have 

7 In School and Out 

8 Little by Little 

9 Now or Never 


10 Outward Bound 

11 Poor and Proud 

12 Rich and Humble 

1 3 Sailor Boy, The 

14 Soldier Boy, The 

15 Try Again 

16 Watch and Wait 

17 Work and Win 

18 The Yankee Middy 

19 The Young Lieutenant 


ALWAYS ASK FOR THE DONOHUE 

Complete Editions and you will get the best for the least money 


All of the above books may be had at the store 
where this book was bought, or will be sent postpaid 
at 75c per copy by the publishers 

M. A. DONOHUE & CO. 

701-727 S. Dearborn St., CHICAGO 






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